Overview
- Voting took place on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, with early returns and polls showing Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' United List as the biggest single force but without enough seats for an outright majority.
- Heightened security measures, including NATO air patrols and the deployment of German Eurofighter jets, protected the vote amid official warnings about possible Russian hybrid attacks such as drones, sabotage and disinformation.
- Populist and Russia‑friendly formations, notably Sovereign Power and Latvia First led by Ainars Slesers, scored strong support among Russian‑speaking and economically frustrated voters and could complicate coalition arithmetic if centrist partners fail to cross the 5% threshold.
- Kulbergs campaigned on continued strong support for Ukraine, expanded anti‑drone defenses and keeping defence spending near 5% of GDP, positions that are likely to shape coalition bargaining over security policy.
- The immediate focus now shifts to coalition negotiations that will decide who governs, how defence and aid to Ukraine are funded, and whether responses to domestic cost‑of‑living pressures will alter Latvia's pro‑EU, pro‑NATO orientation.