Latvia’s Kulbergs Wins Historic Mandate, Poised for Pro-Ukraine Coalition

RIGA, Oct. 4 (TodayViralUSA) — Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs is set to retain power after his centrist United List scored the strongest parliamentary result for a single political force since Latvia regained independence in 1991, preliminary counts showed Sunday.

With nearly all ballots tallied from Saturday’s election, United List won about 35% of the vote — translating to roughly 42 seats in the 100-member Saeima, according to official tallies reported by public broadcaster LSM and international wires. That exceeds the previous high of 36 seats won by Latvijas ceļš in 1993.

The margin left Kulbergs more than 20 percentage points ahead of far-right Latvia First, led by Ainārs Šlesers, POLITICO Europe reported. Despite the landslide, United List still needs partners for a majority.

Path to another pro-Ukraine cabinet

Outgoing coalition partners National Alliance (about 10 seats) and New Unity (about 7) cleared the 5% threshold and appear able to join United List in a roughly 59-seat majority, LSM reported. That combination would allow Kulbergs to avoid relying on Latvia First, which has opposed some restrictive measures toward Russia.

Parties expected in opposition include Latvia First (about 17 seats), Sovereign Power/New Latvians (about 15) and the Progressives (about 9). The Union of Greens and Farmers fell below the threshold, reshaping the previous governing lineup.

President Edgars Rinkēvičs will nominate a prime minister to form a government; Kulbergs is the clear favorite. Parties typically negotiate a coalition agreement, declaration and portfolio split before a Saeima confidence vote.

Kulbergs became prime minister in late May after Evika Siliņa stepped down following a backlash over stray Ukrainian drone strikes. His five-month “trial” premiership emphasized a results-focused image, LSM noted. Campaign issues included high inflation, the troubled national airline airBaltic, the Rail Baltica project and migration pressures linked to Russia and Belarus.

As a NATO and European Union state bordering Russia, Latvia’s vote was closely watched for continuity of support for Ukraine. Kulbergs last week initially opposed an EU deal that would have removed Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from sanctions; Latvia ultimately abstained, allowing a broader sanctions extension after a compromise among member states, POLITICO reported.

United List finished first in nearly every district nationwide, with only a handful of southeastern precincts going elsewhere, LSM’s results map showed. Voter turnout appeared historically low by Latvian standards, according to early assessments, even as Kulbergs consolidated a rare single-list dominance.

Analysts say the size of United List’s mandate makes a full term to 2030 more plausible than recent governments enjoyed — though airBaltic’s future, Rail Baltica costs and coalition discipline remain early tests for the next cabinet.