Key facts
- Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' United List party won Latvia's parliamentary election with 35.3% of the vote.
- United List secured 42 seats in the 100-seat parliament.
- Latvia First, a populist party, came in second with 13.1% of the vote.
- The pro-Russian Sovereign Power party ranked third with 11.7% of the vote.
- The nationalist National Alliance followed with 8.9% of the vote.
- Kulbergs pledged continuing support to Ukraine and to maintain a hard line towards Moscow.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centrist United List party secured the biggest parliamentary election victory since the country regained independence in 1991, with 35.3% of the vote counted from 97% of ballots. The result positions Kulbergs to form a pro-Ukrainian coalition government and maintain a hard line against Russia.
Kulbergs, who came to power in May, vowed to improve governance, cut red tape, and reduce public spending. Political scientist Roberts Kits noted that voters saw Kulbergs as a "get-things-done type of guy" who could bring "fresh energy," but cautioned about the "huge responsibility" to deliver.
United List appeared able to form a majority with either the nationalist National Alliance or the liberal Progressives. Kulbergs pledged continuing support to Ukraine and stated that "any economic ties with Russia makes us weak." Voter turnout was 51.8%, down from 59.4% in 2022.
The populist, MAGA-style Latvia First party followed with 13.1% of the vote, having courted the country's substantial ethnic Russian minority. The pro-Russian Sovereign Power party ranked third with 11.7%, and the nationalist National Alliance was fourth at 8.9%. Despite an increase in representation for pro-Russian parties, Kits believes they will remain sidelined.
Throughout his campaign, Kulbergs promised enhanced anti-drone capabilities and to maintain defense spending at 5% of gross domestic product, one of NATO's highest levels. His pro-Kremlin rivals advocated for halting aid to Ukraine and focusing on domestic cost-of-living issues, particularly for the Russian-speaking minority.