Status: 02.10.2022 09:24
Latvians are betting on continuity: the ruling party won the parliamentary elections. A total of eight parties made it to parliament. Forming a government can be difficult.
The liberal-conservative party of Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, Jauna Vienotiba, won parliamentary elections in Latvia, a member of the EU and NATO. With 18.9 percent of the vote, the party emerged as the winner of the vote, according to data from Riga’s electoral commission on Sunday morning, after counting in nearly 95 percent of all polling stations. Like the German Christian Democrats, Jauna Vienotiba belongs to the EPP Group in the European Parliament.
The election was overshadowed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and concerns about rising energy costs. The second strongest force is the opposition alliance of farmers and greens (12.8%) ahead of the newly formed United List electoral alliance (11.0%). According to the information, only one of Karins’ three coalition partners made it safely to parliament: the national-conservative National Alliance (9.3%).
Conservatives fail with 5% barrier
While the Conservatives clearly fell short of the five percent barrier, the Liberal For Development / For! right above him. With the remaining votes in the Baltic Republic counting, the balance of power could still shift. The opposition Harmonie party, in particular, is confident of this. The hitherto strongest political force in Latvia is currently only 4.8%. The party, whose core of voters comes mainly from the strong minority of Russian origin and was the most voted in the last elections, is the big loser of the vote.
Eight parties enter parliament
A total of eight parties made it to the Saeima parliament. In addition to the United List, there are three other new groups. After the vote, Karins was ready to lead the next government. However, difficult coalition negotiations are expected.
The election campaign was dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its aftermath. Many citizens of the country of 1.9 million are also very concerned about the sharp rise in energy prices and high inflation.