Europe04 October, 20262 min read
Andris Kulbergs’ United List Wins Latvia Election, Sets Up Pro-Ukrainian Coalition
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United List won about 35% of vote, largest post-independence Latvian election victory. Kulbergs to form a pro-Ukrainian coalition with four parties, retaining the prime ministership.
7 outlets told this the same way.
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Latvia election reshapes coalition
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs was set to retain power and form a pro-Ukrainian coalition after his centrist United List secured the biggest parliamentary election victory since Latvia regained independence in 1991.
United List was on 35.3%, enough for 42 seats in the 100-seat parliament, after 97% of ballots were counted following Saturday’s election.
AP said lawmakers planned to begin negotiations to form a new government after a parliamentary election in which Kulbergs's four-party coalition emerged with 35% of the vote.
Kulbergs told reporters at his party’s headquarters on election night that “Any economic ties with Russia makes us weak.”
Kulbergs also told reporters, “It’s remarkably good. I was not expecting such a result,” as voter turnout was reported at 51.8%.
Security, drones, and turnout
Reuters tied Latvia’s political crisis in May to the handling of incidents in which stray Ukrainian military drones flew undetected into Latvia, after which the previous coalition crumbled. United List was on 36.6 percent, followed by the populist, MAGA-style Latvia First on 13.4 percent, with 88 percent of ballots counted. Megija Nordena, 21, told Reuters from Riga that “The priority, in my view, is, of course, security – security in Latvia.”
Sovereign Power party leader Julia Stepanenko told Reuters that “The war must not be encouraged in any way, including by financing it.” Reuters said Latvia’s pro-Kremlin rivals argued Latvia should stop any aid to Ukraine and focus on cost-of-living issues, particularly among the country’s Russian-speaking minority.
NATO eastern flank stakes
Reuters said Latvia is sandwiched between the Baltic Sea and Russia and Belarus to the east, with EU and NATO allies Estonia and Lithuania to the north and south. El País said Latvia’s elections were held with a security crisis caused by the impact of several drones in the eastern strip of the country, and it described Kulbergs as pro-European and in favor of maintaining assistance to Ukraine against Russian aggression. El País reported that Kulbergs secured more than 42 of the 100 seats in the Latvian Parliament (Saeima), and it said the victory could form a new government coalition.
“We are the outer edge of Europe that must be strong.”
DIE WELT said Kulbergs warned, “That is what we are aiming for. Kulbergs pledged to maintain defence spending at 5% of gross domestic product, one of the highest levels in NATO, while pro-Kremlin rivals pressed for a different approach to Ukraine aid.