Kulbergs’ party leads Latvia election exit poll — Deutsche Welle

In Latvia, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’ United List party is leading the parliamentary elections with 35.6% of the vote, according to an exit poll by public broadcaster LSM. Deutsche Welle reports.

Exit poll results

According to the survey, the populist Latvia First party is in second place with 11.3% of the vote. This is almost twice as much as its result in the previous 2022 elections. The party sought to gain the support of the country’s sizable ethnic Russian minority.

Kulbergs said that he would not cooperate with pro-Russian parties, specifically ruling out the formation of a coalition with Latvia First. United List is a centrist party that supports Ukraine.

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Security and the cost of living

About 1.5 million voters were eligible to vote in the election. Fourteen parties competed for 100 seats in the Saeima, and voting took place under a proportional system. National security and the rising cost of living were key campaign issues.

Latvia borders Russia and Belarus, and Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine is regarded in the country as a direct security threat. Riga is a member of the European Union and NATO and has legally committed to spending at least 5% of GDP on defense. During the vote, four German Eurofighter fighter jets were deployed at Latvia’s request to protect the country’s airspace.

Coalition talks

Kulbergs has served as prime minister since May, when the previous government collapsed over a dispute concerning Ukrainian drones. Despite United List’s lead, its coalition may weaken due to the strengthening of populist forces. At the time of DW’s publication, partial results were expected on Saturday evening and preliminary official results on Sunday. After the votes are counted, coalition talks are to begin in the country, which, according to the outlet’s assessment, may be lengthy and difficult.