Around 1.5 million Latvians are eligible to vote in an election that has been influenced by national security issues and rising living costs. Four Eurofighter jets are on NATO deployment over Latvia during the election period.
Polls opened in Latvia on Saturday, with approximately 1.5 million people eligible to participate in the country's 11th parliamentary election since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The election involves 100 seats in the Saeima being contested by 14 parties through a proportional representation system. The campaign has been primarily focused on increasing living costs and national security concerns in the Baltic nation, which shares borders with Russia and Belarus.
Latvia's current prime minister, Andris Kulbergs, took office in May following the collapse of the previous government due to a disagreement regarding Ukrainian drones. His center-right, conservative United List alliance was leading in the polls before the election; however, it is anticipated that his coalition may be weakened as populist parties gain traction.
Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine is perceived as a direct threat to Latvia's national security, given that Latvia, like Ukraine, is a former Soviet state with a significant ethnic Russian and Russian-speaking population. In contrast to Ukraine, Latvia is a member of both the European Union and NATO.
Riga has been a strong ally of Kyiv, committing by law to allocate at least 5% of its GDP to defense, which limits available funding for other areas. Many Latvians have expressed concerns about high prices and low wages, while the economy is sluggish, the health system is under pressure, and challenges such as emigration and an aging population persist.
Populist movements, including the Sovereign Power/Young Latvians Alliance and the Latvia First party, have sought to capitalize on public discontent by advocating for a less stringent approach towards Moscow and arguing that a complete economic separation from Russia is detrimental.
Despite these movements, no political parties are suggesting significant changes to Latvia's established foreign policy alignment with the EU and NATO. Four German Eurofighter jets have been deployed to secure Latvian airspace during the election at the request of Riga.
Once the ballots are counted, attention will likely turn to coalition negotiations, which may be lengthy and complex. Partial results are expected on Saturday evening, with preliminary official results anticipated on Sunday.