Latvia: parliamentary elections confirm pro-Western orientation, landslide victory for Prime Minister Kulbergs' Joint List
Quick Look
- The parliamentary elections in Latvia saw Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' Joint List obtain 35.6% of the votes according to exit polls, marking an increase of 24 points compared to the previous round.
- The result confirms the pro-Western orientation of the Baltic country, a member of NATO and the EU, while the pro-Russian populist coalition 'Sovereign Power' and 'Alliance of Young Latvians' obtains 10.6%.
- The Union of Greens and Farmers (Zzs) does not exceed the threshold with 3.7%.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Latvia is a NATO and European Union member state that borders Russia and is home to a significant Russian-speaking minority. Concerns about security and the cost of living dominated the electoral agenda.
The parliamentary elections in Latvia today marked a clear confirmation of the Baltic country's pro-Western orientation. According to exit polls, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' Joint List would have obtained a landslide victory with 35.6% of the votes, recording an increase of 24 percentage points compared to the previous electoral round.
Kulbergs supports Latvia's military buildup and continued support for Ukraine.
Reuters writes on its website that the result was widely expected, but specifies that the outgoing prime minister will have to build a coalition with other parties to remain in power, according to exit polls.
Concerns about security and the cost of living have dominated the electoral agenda in Latvia, a NATO and European Union member state that borders Russia and is home to a significant Russian-speaking minority.
Notable gains were also recorded by the right-wing populist and pro-Russian electoral alliance composed of the parties "Sovereign Power" and "Alliance of Young Latvians"; with 10.6% of the votes, the coalition competed for second place in a close race with the populist party "Latvia First" of the Latvian tycoon Ainars Slesers (Lpv, 11.3%) and "The Progressists" (11.1%).
The big loser of the elections is the Union of Greens and Farmers (Zzs), which with 3.7% of the votes did not exceed the threshold of 5%. The party has been part of the leadership of the Latvian government for decades and contributed to Latvia becoming the first EU country to have a Green head of government in 2004.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Joint List will form a government coalition with other parties to remain in power
Very likely · Within weeks
The new government will maintain military support for Ukraine and strengthen national defenses
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- With which parties will the United List form a government coalition?
- What will be the new government's exact position regarding military support for Ukraine?
- How will the election result affect relations between Latvia and Russia in the medium term?
