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United List wins 42 Latvian seats
Kulbergs’s United List has the largest bloc, but must negotiate to turn its election win into government.
What happened
United List won Latvia’s parliamentary election as counting neared completion, giving Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs the largest bloc in the Saeima. Latvia First placed second and Sovereign Power third. The outcome follows Kulbergs’s appointment in May after parliament approved a coalition led by his party, and he must now seek partners to govern.
Numbers
- 35.3%United List vote share — With most ballots counted
- 42 seatsUnited List representation in Saeima — Out of the full chamber
- 51.8%turnout among eligible voters — Nearly 800,000 people voted
Questions
- Why did security dominate the campaign?
- Latvia borders Russia and Belarus, while the war in Ukraine and concern about possible Russian hybrid attacks shaped the campaign.
- Can United List govern alone?
- No. United List is short of a majority in the single-chamber Saeima, so Kulbergs must secure partners to form a government.
- What did Kulbergs promise voters?
- Kulbergs linked a stronger economy to stronger defense and asked voters for the authority to lead Latvia through the next term.
- Why was Kulbergs already prime minister?
- A dispute over the government’s handling of stray drones ended the earlier coalition, then parliament approved a coalition led by Kulbergs.
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The catch
Coverage does not show which parties, if any, will join Kulbergs in a governing coalition.
Final seat totals could still change.