Latvia's pro-Ukraine coalition wins 35% in election — SkimNews
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- Andris Kulbergs' four-party pro-Ukraine coalition won 35% of the vote in Latvia's October 3, 2026 parliamentary election, prompting lawmakers to begin government-formation negotiations on October 4.
- The United List party, expected to take 42 seats in the 100-member Saeima, faces the need for a multiparty coalition; parties must clear a 5% threshold to win seats.
- The previous Latvian government collapsed in May after a political crisis over handling stray drones suspected of coming from Ukraine, a coalition that had already been strained by other issues.
- Voter turnout exceeded 51%, with nearly 1.56 million of Latvia's 1.8 million citizens eligible to elect 100 Saeima members to four-year terms.
- Latvia borders both Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus and, like Baltic neighbors Lithuania and Estonia, strongly backs Ukraine against Moscow's invasion amid growing concern about potential Russian aggression on NATO's eastern flank.
Why it matters: Latvia's 35% win for Kulbergs' pro-Ukraine coalition keeps a frontline NATO state aligned against Moscow as Baltic concerns about Russian aggression grow. But the May collapse over Ukraine-linked drones — not Russian provocations — shows Baltic solidarity carries domestic political costs; Saturday's vote nonetheless confirmed voters still back the pro-Kyiv course.
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