Voting begins in Latvia’s parliamentary elections, current prime minister expected to win

Citizens of Latvia are voting today in parliamentary elections, in which it is estimated that pro-Ukrainian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs will remain in power.

Polling stations opened at eight o’clock, and the final outcome of the vote will be known after midnight, reports Reuters news agency.

Voters are electing a total of 100 members of the Saeima, the Latvian parliament, for a four-year term.

Voters across Latvia and other Baltic countries are unsettled by warnings of possible Russian aggression, as well as an increasing number of hybrid attacks and incursions into the country’s airspace.

Public opinion polls for today’s elections give an advantage to the centrist “United List” led by Kulbergs, with about 14 percent of the vote, followed by the pro-Russian party “Sovereign Power” with the next highest support.

Businessman Kulbergs came to power in May after the previous coalition collapsed due to the way it responded to incidents in which stray military drones entered Latvian airspace unnoticed.

Although these were Ukrainian drones, officials blamed Russia for their deviation from the flight path.

Kulbergs has promised to strengthen Latvia’s capacity to combat drones and to maintain defense spending at five percent of gross domestic product, which is one of the highest levels in NATO.

The prime minister’s rivals, who are sympathetic to Russia, believe that Latvia should halt all aid to Ukraine and instead focus more on cost-of-living issues and especially on the country’s Russian minority.

Polls show that at least two more parties could enter parliament—the populist group “Latvia First” and “Progressives,” a left-leaning party that attracts younger voters.

Kulbergs’ ability to form a working coalition will largely depend on how many votes he receives and how many other parties cross the five percent threshold to enter parliament.