Following the 15th Saeima elections in Latvia, “Apvienotais saraksts” (AS) Prime Minister candidate and current premier Andris Kulbergs announced on Sunday that his party will not form a coalition with the “Latvija pirmajā vietā” (LPV) party and its chairman Ainārs Šlesers, as reported by the TV3 program “Nekā personīga”.
Apvienotais saraksts wins elections decisively with 35.3 percent
After the completion of vote counting across all domestic election districts and postal voting commissions, the Central Election Commission (CVK) noted that candidate plus and minus tabulations must still finish in one district, leaving the final list of elected candidates subject to change. The CVK may also still change data for some districts. Final tallies show “Apvienotais saraksts” winning the 15th Saeima elections decisively with 35.3% of the vote. LPV placed second with 13.1%, followed by “Suverēnā vara/Apvienība jaunlatvieši” (SV/AJ) at 11.71%, Nacionālā apvienība (NA) at 8.9%, “Progresīvie” at 7.88%, and “Jaunā vienotība” (JV) at 6.36%. Meanwhile, the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) fell below the 5% threshold, sitting at 4.4%.
Based on this seat distribution, AS is projected to secure 41 parliamentary seats, LPV 17 mandates, SV/AJ 15, NA 10, “Progresīvie” 10, and JV seven seats. The 41 mandates won by AS represent the highest total achieved by any political force in Saeima elections since the restoration of independence. For comparison, “Latvijas ceļš” secured 36 mandates in 1993, “Vienotība” won 33 in 2010, and “Saskaņa” took 31 in the 2011 snap elections. Voter turnout dropped to 51.8%, marking the lowest level recorded since the restoration of independence.
Did You Know? The 41 mandates secured by “Apvienotais saraksts” surpass previous historical highs for Saeima elections, eclipsing the 36 seats won by “Latvijas ceļš” in 1993, the 33 seats won by “Vienotība” in 2010, and the 31 seats secured by “Saskaņa” in 2011.
Kulbergs rules out including LPV in the coalition
Kulbergs stated that voters focused on change rather than ideological categories, adding that AS must take responsibility and find a partner willing to sign off on those changes. He ruled out including LPV and Šlesers in the coalition, asserting that their campaign promises are unfulfillable. At the same time, Kulbergs declined to comment on potential coalition talks with current partners NA and JV, stating that his party must decide the matter internally.
Political scientist Jānis Ikstens told LETA that the victory by AS came as a surprise and that the next government is likely to be built from current coalition members AS, JV, and NA. Ikstens noted that an AS-and-JV pairing lacks a majority, while an AS-and-NA pairing would hold a very fragile one, though cooperation with “Progresīvie” remains less likely due to differing stances on budget deficits and borrowing. He added that AS could theoretically form a coalition with any party except JV. Combined with NA and JV, AS would hold 58 parliamentary seats. A fragile majority of 51 seats is possible with only AS and NA. Ikstens suggested that AS might occupy about two-thirds of the next cabinet based on proportionality.
Meanwhile, NA board chairwoman and Minister of Education and Science Ilze Indriksone emphasized on Latvian Radio’s “Krustpunktā” that smaller coalition partners must retain the ability to influence decisions, while AS board co-chairman and Minister of Justice Edvards Smiltēns noted that government representation should reflect the voter-given mandate, with a target of forming a four-year cabinet by the time the newly elected Saeima convenes on November 3.
NA leaders re-evaluate results after electoral defeat
Rihards Kols, an NA board member and MEP, believes the role of prime minister gave Kulbergs an advantage in airtime compared to NA, which spent long periods in opposition. Raivis Dzintars, a long-time NA leader who plans to eventually leave the board to remain an active member, stated the party must re-evaluate its results, as he does not believe the current outcome is satisfactory in the long term.
Kulbergs has mentioned the need to reduce certain areas, though Ikstens noted nothing had prevented him from doing so previously. Kulbergs also indicated a focus on the economy, which may lead to merging some ministries to optimize the state apparatus. Finance Minister Māris Kučinskis suggested AS should pause rather than rush into agreements. Smiltēns warned that failing to reach agreements immediately would waste two “golden years” before the next election cycle begins.
Voter turnout drops to record low in parliamentary elections
Why did Andris Kulbergs rule out a coalition with LPV?
Kulbergs stated that “Apvienotais saraksts” would not bring Ainārs Šlesers and LPV into the coalition because their campaign promises are unfulfillable.
What were the exact voter turnout figures for the 15th Saeima elections?
Voter turnout dropped to 51.8%, marking the lowest participation rate recorded since the restoration of independence.
Which parties missed the 5% parliamentary threshold?
The Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) finished just below the threshold with 4.4% of the vote and failed to enter parliament.
How will the remaining vote verification affect the final seat distribution in the new Saeima?
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