Latvia to elect parliament amid threats from Russia — Deutsche Welle

On October 3, Latvia will elect 100 members of the Saeima in an election where security due to threats from Russia, an aggressor state, has become one of the central issues. As Deutsche Welle reports, Germany has deployed four Eurofighter fighter jets to Latvia’s Lielvārde air base, located 60 kilometers from Riga. The aircraft are part of NATO’s efforts to strengthen air defense on the Alliance’s eastern flank.

Security at the center of the campaign

Most of the country’s leading parties are discussing stronger defense. Over recent months, drones have repeatedly entered the airspace of the Baltic states. The latest mentioned incident occurred in Lithuania on September 15: a NATO fighter jet shot down a drone that likely arrived from Belarus.

Latvia and its neighbors also report hybrid threats, including flows of migrants that, they say, are encouraged by Belarus, an ally of Russia, an aggressor state. They say the aim of such actions is to pressure the EU and test border security. Intelligence representatives from several European countries, including Latvia and the Czech Republic, have warned that Russia may try to test NATO in the coming months.

Latvia has legally committed to spending 5% of GDP on defense. Analysts believe the country’s foreign policy course is unlikely to change regardless of the composition of the future coalition, as there is broad consensus among political forces on the importance of NATO.

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Economic ties with Russia

At the same time, there is public debate over the economic cost of distancing from Russia. Before the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia was among Latvia’s important trading partners. Since 2022, the country has reduced imports from Russia and Belarus by more than 90% and introduced some of the EU’s strictest restrictions on goods from these states.

According to the FES Security Radar 2025 study, 60% of Latvia’s residents want to reduce the country’s dependence on Russia, while 20% favor closer ties with it. The Sovereign Power/Alliance of Young Latvians alliance and the Latvia First party advocate a more pragmatic approach to economic relations with the eastern neighbor. A representative of the latter stressed that a full restoration of trade is not under discussion while the war in Ukraine continues.

Language and identity

Issues of language and identity also affect electoral sentiment. About one-third of Latvia’s population speaks Russian at home. According to analysts’ estimates, some Russian-speaking voters may feel alienated due to the phaseout of Russian-language school education and the reduced role of the Russian language in public life.