# Latvian PM Holds Power Amid Ukraine War

> Latvia's prime minister keeps power as Russia-Ukraine war reshapes elections.
- Title: Latvian PM Holds Power Amid Ukraine War · EUobserver
- Summary: Latvia's prime minister keeps power as Russia-Ukraine war reshapes elections. Latvia's prime minister Andris Kulbergs retained power with 35.8% of the vote…
- Keywords: latvia, andris kulbergs, russia, ukraine, election, vdd, cost of living, healthcare, politics, world, Latvian, Holds
- Source: EUobserver — https://euobserver.com/240937/latvian-pm-holds-onto-power-as-russia-ukraine-war-shapes-election
- Published: 2026-10-04T18:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: latvia, andris kulbergs, russia, ukraine, election, vdd, cost of living, healthcare, politics, world
## Election Impact
Russia might not have directly interfered in Latvia’s election, but the vote showed how the Ukraine war was distorting European democracy.
## VDD Intelligence
Latvia’s VDD intelligence service did not detect any of Russia’s classic interference tactics in the run-up to Saturday’s (3 October) vote.
## Prime Minister Retains Power
Centre-right prime minister Andris Kulbergs retained power with 35.8 percent of the vote, even if coalition-building might take a while.
## Voter Concerns
Voters’ concerns included the cost of living and failing healthcare, in what also sounded normal.
## Russia's Fundamental Influence
But despite the ordinary appearances, Russia’s war in Ukraine still influenced the election in fundamental ways, in a strange new normal for Europe that most of us had hardly imagined just five years ago.
## Key takeaway

Latvia's prime minister Andris Kulbergs retained power with 35.8% of the vote despite economic concerns and Russia's influence.