Latvia Parliamentary Election: Pro-Ukraine Forces Win Amid NATO Security Focus

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and his political party, the United List (AS), secured a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections, capturing 35.4 percent of the vote after leading polls at just 23 to 24 percent, welt.de reported.

Defending the Eastern Flank in Riga

Latvia must not remain the weakest link. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs made this clear on Saturday, the day voters went to the polls to elect a new Saeima. Latvia must be strong, Kulbergs stated, emphasizing that the entire eastern flank must project unity as the outer border of Europe, welt.de reported.

The 47-year-old former manager and motorsport enthusiast assumed the role of interim prime minister in May of this year following the resignation of former premier Evika Silina. Entering parliament for the first time in 2022, Kulbergs benefited from a perception of political freshness during his brief five-month tenure at the helm. Initial exit polls pointed to strong numbers, but Sunday morning’s count of roughly 90 percent of ballots revealed a much wider margin. The United List surged to 35.4 percent, leaving the populist party Latvia First (LPV) trailing far behind in second place with 13.1 percent.

Coalition Arithmetic and Pro-Ukraine Alignment

With six parties crossing the threshold into the 100-seat Saeima, the United List secured 41 mandates. This requires Kulbergs to build a coalition before the new parliament convenes on November 3. Potential partners include national-conservative allies and center-left factions, while other alternatives face total exclusion.

Political Party	Electoral Position / Ideology	Vote Share	Projected Seats
United List (AS)	Pro-European, strong defense advocacy	35.4%	41
Latvia First (LPV)	Populist, targets Russian-speaking minority	13.1%	Not explicitly detailed
Sovereign Power (SV)	Pro-Russian, anti-Ukraine aid platform	11.7%	Not explicitly detailed
Nationale Allianz (NA)	National-conservative, hardline on Russia	9.0%	11
The Progressives	Social-democratic, former defense portfolio	7.3%	9
New Unity (JV)	Center-right, led by former PM Silina	6.2%	7

According to welt.de, negotiations with the third-place Sovereign Power (SV) party under Julija Stepanenko are entirely ruled out. SV won 11.7 percent of the vote by campaigning explicitly to halt all aid to Ukraine and courting the country’s Russian-speaking minority. Similarly, a government partnership with the populist LPV led by businessman Ainars Slesers is viewed as unlikely. Slesers, sometimes dubbed the “lettischer Donald Trump” according to welt.de, advocates for restoring ties with Russia once the war in Ukraine ends and condemns current sanctions.

Prime Minister Kulbergs instead focuses on building a government with parties firmly committed to uncompromising military backing for Kyiv and sustaining high defense spending. Latvia currently allocates five percent of its Wirtschaftsleistung to defense, marking a Spitzenwert in the Nato that Kulbergs intends to preserve, welt.de reported. Viable coalition partners include the National Alliance (NA) with 11 seats, the New Unity (JV) party of former premier Silina with 7 seats, and the social-democratic Progressives with 9 seats, which held the defense ministry until May.

Regional Implications at the European Border

The decisive outcome in Riga provides clarity for international partners monitoring the resilience of Europe’s eastern borderlands amid persistent regional conflict.

Voters weighed domestic cost-of-living pressures against the financial demands of national security, ultimately rewarding a platform of resolute deterrence. As coalition talks progress toward the November deadline, the incoming administration remains positioned to maintain its role as an outspoken advocate for transatlantic defense coordination.