Latvia's Prime Minister Wins Election Shadowed by the Ukraine War

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Partial results showed that the United List party, belonging to the centrist bloc and supportive of Ukraine, led by Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kullbergs, won the parliamentary elections held on Saturday by a significant margin that was not expected, amid the tension of many voters due to warnings of a possible Russian aggression. With 72 percent of the votes counted, the United List received 36.5 percent, followed by the Latvia First populist party, which adopts a style similar to the 'Make America Great Again' movement, with 13.0 percent.

The Latvia First party sought to gain the support of the large Russian ethnic minority in the country in the lead-up to the elections. The Baltic states have been warning for months of Russia launching sabotage, cyber, and other hybrid attacks across Europe aimed at instilling fear and undermining support for Ukraine, but Western officials dismiss concerns about Moscow's ability to launch a direct attack on NATO.

Latvia is a member of the alliance. Russia says these accusations are unfounded and are the result of a wave of unjustified panic and anti-Russian sentiment. In response to the exit poll results earlier in the evening, Kullbergs expressed hope to remain Prime Minister but added that he does not wish to govern with the Latvia First party.

According to the partial results, he will still need allies in the coalition to form a government.

Kolbergs said at his party's headquarters in Riga, "This is a remarkably good result. I did not expect such a result." The pro-Russia Sovereign Power Party ranked third in the polls, garnering 10.5 percent, followed by the National Alliance, which advocates a hardline approach towards the Kremlin, with 9.6 percent.