According to preliminary results, the liberal-conservative Jauna Vienotiba party of Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins received the most votes in Latvia’s parliamentary elections. She secured 26 out of a total of 100 seats in the Baltic country’s EU and NATO parliament, as the Riga election commission announced yesterday after completing the vote count at all polling stations.
Like the ÖVP, Jauna Vienotiba belongs to the EPP Group in the European Parliament. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) congratulated his colleague Karins on Twitter on his election victory. The election was overshadowed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and concerns about rising energy costs.
Deep Crash for Social Democrats
The second strongest force will be the opposition Farmers and Greens Alliance (16 seats), just ahead of the new United List electoral alliance (15 seats). Of Karin’s three coalition partners, only one, the national-conservative National Alliance (13 seats), made it to parliament. While the Conservatives clearly failed the five percent barrier, the Liberal party slipped To Development – To! under the last-minute freeze clause.
The Social Democrat opposition party Harmonie has had to deal with a deep slump. Latvia’s hitherto strongest political force failed to reach parliament. The party, whose main voters come mainly from the strong minority of Russian origin, is the big loser in the vote in the Baltic Sea state, which borders Russia and Belarus.