From POLITICO · · 1m 30s
Latvia's pro-Ukraine PM wins by landslide
Andris Kulbergs' decisive election victory gives him a clear path to form a government without far-right support.
In brief
Andris Kulbergs' decisive election victory gives him a clear path to form a government without far-right support. Latvian PM Andris Kulbergs won Saturday's election with around thirty-five percent of the vote, far ahead of the far-right opposition, positioning him to lead a pro-Ukraine coalition without needing…
Kulbergs wins by wide margin
Latvian PM Andris Kulbergs' United List won around thirty-five percent of the vote in Saturday's election, more than twenty percentage points ahead of the far-right Latvia First party.
Far-right opposition opposes Russia tariffs
Latvia First, led by veteran politician Ainārs Šlesers, came second but far behind. Šlesers opposes restrictive tariffs on Russia, marking a key policy divide.
Kulbergs set for forty-two seats
Preliminary results put United List on course for forty-two of the one hundred seats in Latvia's national parliament, stronger than pre-election polling had suggested.
Coalition partners clear threshold
Two outgoing coalition partners, the conservative National Alliance and center-right New Unity, cleared the five percent threshold and are set to return to parliament with enough seats for a majority.
Pro-Ukraine path without far-right
Kulbergs can form a pro-Ukraine coalition with his existing partners without seeking support from Šlesers' Latvia First, an option that had loomed over the campaign marked by inflation and migration concerns.
Kulbergs navigates EU sanctions dispute
During the campaign, Kulbergs initially opposed an EU deal to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from sanctions, but Latvia ultimately abstained, allowing the regime to be extended.
The main idea
Latvian PM Andris Kulbergs won Saturday's election with around thirty-five percent of the vote, far ahead of the far-right opposition, positioning him to lead a pro-Ukraine coalition without needing far-right support.
