Latvia votes in parliamentary election amid rising costs

On Saturday, Latvia began its 11th parliamentary election since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The vote, featuring 100 seats contested by 14 parties through a proportional system, has been heavily influenced by escalating living costs and national security concerns. Latvia, neighboring Russia and Belarus, is particularly concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, viewing it as a direct threat to its security despite being a NATO member and EU law advocate.

Andris Kulbergs, Latvia's Prime Minister since May, leads a center-right, conservative United List alliance in the polls. However, his coalition is anticipated to be weakened as populist parties gain traction. Unlike Ukraine, Latvia remains a member of both the EU and NATO. Riga, a close ally of Kyiv, legally commits to spending at least 5% of GDP on defense, leaving limited room for other expenditures.

Many Latvians grapple with high prices, low wages, a sluggish economy, a strained health system, emigration, and an aging population. Populist movements like the Sovereign Power/Young Latvians Alliance and Latvia First party have capitalized on this discontent by adopting a less confrontational stance towards Moscow and arguing that complete economic detachment from Russia is detrimental.

Despite these challenges, none of the parties are advocating for significant changes in Latvia's foreign policy alignment with the EU and NATO. As a precautionary measure, four German Eurofighter jets have been deployed to safeguard Latvia's airspace in response to a Latvian request. Once the votes are tallied, focus will rapidly shift to coalition negotiations, which could be lengthy and intricate. Partial results are expected on Saturday, with official results anticipated on Sunday.