Russian EU neighbor has voted: Liberal Conservatives prevail

Created: 2022-10-02Updated: 2022-10-02 09:11

By: Andreas Schmid

Latvia has elected a new parliament.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was a defining campaign issue.

All information in the news ticker.

• Parliamentary elections

  in

  Latvia

  : Karins' ruling party prevails

• Latvia

  elects a new

  parliament

  : an election marked by the Ukraine war

• Russian invasion

  of

  Ukraine

  : The war helps Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins in particular

• This news ticker for the

  Latvia elections

  is constantly updated.

Update from October 2, 8:59 a.m

.: Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins’ liberal-conservative governing party Jauna Vienotiba prevailed in the 2022 Latvian elections.

With 18.9 percent of the votes, the party emerged as the winner of the vote, according to data from the Riga electoral commission after counting almost 95 percent of all polling stations.

Like the German Christian Democrats, Jauna Vienotiba belongs to the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

The second strongest force is the opposition alliance of farmers and greens (12.8 percent) ahead of the newly formed electoral alliance United List (11.0 percent). 

According to the information, only one of Karins' three coalition partners made it safely into parliament: the national-conservative National Alliance (9.3 percent).

While the conservatives clearly failed at the five percent hurdle, the liberal party For Development / For!

just above it. 

Latvia election 2022: Krisjanis Karins addresses the media in Riga awaiting the results.

© Roman Koksarov/AP/dpa

Latvia election: First forecasts see liberal conservatives as winners

Update from October 1, 8:30 p.m .:

In the parliamentary elections in the EU and NATO country Latvia, a victory for Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins’ liberal-conservative governing party Jauna Vienotiba is emerging.

The party can count on 22.5 percent of the votes and become the strongest force in the new parliament in Riga, reported Latvian radio and the Leta news agency after the polling stations closed.

They referred to a joint post-election survey.

According to the forecasts, the newly founded United List comes in second place with 11.5 percent.

It was followed by the opposition Alliance of Farmers and Greens with 10.9 percent.

Of Karins' three coalition partners, only two make it into parliament: the national-conservative National Alliance (8.4 percent) and the liberal For Development / For!

(5.2 percent).

The current centre-right government would no longer have a majority.

According to the post-election survey, a total of eight parties could make it into the Saeima parliament.

The opposition party Harmonie - the strongest political force in Latvia to date - is not among them.

The party, whose regular voters come primarily from the strong minority of Russian origin, won the most votes in the last elections,

Almost 6,500 voters were asked about their vote for the forecast.

However, the results should be treated with caution: In the past elections, the post-election polls had not proven to be very reliable.

The first official election results are expected on Sunday.

The election campaign was dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its aftermath.

Many citizens in the country of 1.9 million people are also worried about the sharp rise in energy prices and runaway inflation. 

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First report from October 1st:

Riga – Several parliamentary elections will take place at the weekend.

While the world is mainly looking at Brazil, where Jair Bolsonaro wants to be re-elected on Sunday, there are also elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Latvia.

In the EU country and former Soviet state of Latvia, the polling stations opened on Saturday morning.

Latvia election: a ballot marked by the Ukraine war

The central election campaign issues in the Baltic state with around 1.8 million inhabitants were the Ukraine war, the high cost of living and the desire for energy independence from neighboring Russia.

Given the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many people in Latvia fear that their country could also be attacked.

Similar to Lithuania, Estonia and Poland.

Latvia is at war with Ukraine.

In August, the Baltic state delivered six self-propelled howitzers to defend against Russian troops.

"Together we will win!" Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov wrote on Twitter at the time.

Latvia election: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine helps secure voters"

Polls put the party of incumbent Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, who is pro-EU and pro-NATO, in the lead.

He currently leads a four-way alliance of conservative parties and forces from the political center.

It is questionable whether this alliance will remain in power.

But "Russia's invasion of Ukraine is helping Karins to secure voters in Latvia," says political scientist Marcis Krastins.

At such times, the government's popularity increases.

Karins will "probably" win.

The populists, the conservatives and the social democratic party Harmonie, on the other hand, must expect losses.

The core voters of Harmonie belong to the strong ethnic Russian minority.

The party has only taken a vague position on the Ukraine war, as Russia's invasion has raised sensitive issues in Latvia.

These include the use of the Russian language, the loyalty of ethnic Russians in Latvia and different interpretations of history.

The Russian-speaking population makes up around 30 percent of the people in Latvia. 

Even before the elections, it is becoming apparent that the formation of a government in the Baltic republic will be difficult.

According to surveys, between seven and twelve parties could make it into parliament.

No party should get an absolute majority.

Polling stations close at 8 p.m. today.

The first projections are then expected, which we will keep you up to date with in this news ticker.