Latvian PM Kulbergs wins majority, secures pro-Ukraine mandate

RIGA In a watershed moment for Baltic politics, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs is on track to retain power and form a robust pro-Ukrainian coalition following a landslide victory in the country's general election. With 97% of ballots counted following vote day in the NATO and European Union member state, Kulbergs' centrist United List secured a staggering 35.3% of the vote. This translates to 42 seats in the 100-seat Saeima, marking the largest parliamentary election victory in Latvia since the nation regained its independence in 1991. Kulbergs, a 47-year-old businessman and amateur rally driver, originally assumed office in May after the previous coalition government collapsed over its handling of stray Ukrainian military drones that drifted undetected into Latvian airspace. Political analysts attribute his sweeping win to a public yearning for administrative competence and fresh energy. For over a decade, Latvia’s economic performance has lagged behind its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania. During the campaign, Kulbergs pledged to overhaul state governance, slash bureaucratic red tape, and streamline public spending. To secure a formal parliamentary majority, the United List is expected to form a coalition with either the nationalist National Alliance or the liberal Progressives. However, political experts caution that governance will remain challenging; no Latvian government has ever survived a full legislative term, and Kulbergs will need to tightly manage his party's loose alliance of independents and smaller factions. On foreign policy and national security, Kulbergs has vowed to maintain an uncompromising stance toward Moscow and steadfast support for Kyiv. "Any economic ties with Russia makes us weak. Yes, it can bring some extra money, but it's a weakness Russia might exploit," Kulbergs told cheering supporters at his party headquarters on election night. Throughout the campaign, Kulbergs promised to bolster Latvia's anti-drone defenses and preserve defense spending at an elite 5.0% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—one of the highest investment levels across the entire NATO alliance.