Latvian legislators were set to commence discussions on forming a fresh government after a recent parliamentary election where the pro-Ukraine Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’s four-party coalition secured 35 percent of the total votes. In May, a political crisis erupted due to the mishandling of stray drones believed to be from Ukraine, leading to the collapse of the existing coalition. Subsequently, the parliament, known as Saeima, endorsed the coalition helmed by Kulbergs from the centrist United List party, which was previously in the opposition.
Latvia, along with its Baltic counterparts Lithuania and Estonia, stands firmly in support of Ukraine against Moscow’s incursion, given its proximity to both Russia and the Moscow-aligned Belarus. The election in Latvia occurred against the backdrop of escalating worries about potential Russian aggression on NATO’s eastern border. The voter turnout exceeded 51 percent, with over 1.56 million eligible voters in the nation of over 1.8 million casting their ballots to elect the 100 members of the unicameral Saeima for a four-year tenure.
The United List party is anticipated to secure 42 parliamentary seats, necessitating a multi-party coalition to govern amidst a fractured political landscape. For a party to secure parliamentary representation, it must garner at least five percent of the total vote share.