Latvia votes in parliamentary election as security concerns dominate campaign

Riga, Latvia. Latvians vote in a parliamentary election on Saturday that is likely to keep pro-Ukrainian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs in power, although deep political fragmentation could complicate the formation of a government.

Security concerns shape campaign

Voters across the Baltics, including NATO and European Union member Latvia, have been unsettled by official warnings of potential Russian aggression and a growing number of airspace incursions linked to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Russia says accusations that it plans to attack NATO are baseless. Western officials say it is not capable of launching a direct assault, but security concerns have featured prominently in Latvia’s election campaign.

Opinion polls put Kulbergs’ centrist United List ahead with about 14% of the vote, closely followed by the overtly pro-Russian Sovereign Power.

Kulbergs pledges support for Ukraine

Kulbergs, a 47-year-old businessman and amateur rally driver, came to power in May after the previous coalition collapsed over its handling of incidents in which stray military drones entered Latvia undetected. Although the drones were Ukrainian, officials blamed Russia for causing them to divert from their flight paths.

“We have to give Ukraine everything necessary right now (so) that they can have the upper hand and win,” Kulbergs told Reuters in an interview last month.

During his campaign, he has also pledged to strengthen Latvia’s anti-drone capabilities and maintain defence spending at 5% of gross domestic product, one of the highest levels in NATO.

Rivals call for an end to aid

His pro-Kremlin rivals say Latvia should stop all aid to Ukraine and focus more on cost-of-living issues, particularly among the country’s Russian-speaking minority.

“Our voters want peace, to stop looking for shelters, to no longer experience the air alerts,” Sovereign Power leader Julia Stepanenko told Reuters. “The war must not be encouraged in any way, including by financing it… Ukraine must win, but through peace talks”.

Voting timetable

Polls open at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Saturday and close at 8 p.m. The first results are expected within hours, with the final result likely to be clear after midnight.

The 100 members of the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament, are being elected for a four-year term.