Latvia: the party of the Prime Minister comes first in the elections

The Latvians voted on October 1 to elect their Parliament.

AFP - GINTS IVUSKANS

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Latvians voted on Saturday to renew parliament.

Security issues in this country bordering Russia dominated the campaign and prompted Latvians to speak out.

They are 59% to have gone to vote.

A higher participation rate than 4 years ago.

But which parties will sit in Parliament?

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With our correspondent in Riga,

Marielle Vitureau 

Two parties arrive neck and neck with more than 15% of the vote.

New Unity, the party of the Prime Minister and the party of the Greens and the farmers, dominated by an oligarch worried by justice since 2007 for corruption.

In the Latvian parliamentary system, everything is a matter of coalitions and these two parties are not made for each other.

New Unit will reunite with its former liberal and conservative allies.

The Progressives, a centre-left party, is entering and could also join them.

The big surprise comes from the Harmony party.

This once pro-Russian party, but which denounced the war in Ukraine, will no longer be in Parliament.

For 10 years, he was the strongest opposition force.

His possible disappearance from the arena will make political competition even fiercer, noted a well-known editorialist recently.

She is proven.

The arrival of three new parties with very different intentions will certainly disturb the political game.

But the ball is now in the president's court.

He must instruct a future Prime Minister to form a government.

 To read also: Elections in Latvia: the vote of Russian speakers scrutinized

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