2018 Latvian parliamentary election

Background

The 2014 elections saw Social Democratic Party "Harmony" emerge as the largest party. Although the largest party, Harmony has not participated in the government. A coalition was formed by Unity, the Union of Greens and Farmers and the National Alliance with Laimdota Straujuma as prime minister. On 7 December 2015 she resigned after increasing tensions within the ruling coalition. Following her resignation and several scandals around the Unity leader Solvita Āboltiņa, opinion polls showed a rapid decrease of support for Unity. On 13 January 2016 Māris Kučinskis of the Union of Greens and Farmers was nominated to be the next prime minister by President Raimonds Vējonis. His government was approved by the Saeima on 11 February.

Electoral system

The 100 members of the Saeima are elected by open list proportional representation from five multi-member constituencies (Kurzeme, Latgale, Riga (in which overseas votes are counted), Vidzeme and Zemgale) between 13 and 32 seats in size. Seats are allocated using the Sainte-Laguë method with a national electoral threshold of 5%.

Electoral alliances

The Movement For!, Latvian Development and Growth parties contested the election as the Development/For! alliance, formed on 20 April 2018.

The Social Democratic Workers' Party, the Christian Democratic Union and contested the election as the SKG Alliance electoral list, the memorandum of which was signed by the leaders of the parties on 28 March 2018.

The long-standing alliance of the Latvian Farmers' Union and the Green Party (in cooperation with the regional For Latvia and Ventspils and Liepāja Party) continued.

Unity formed an association in April 2018 with several regional parties under the New Unity alliance. The involved parties are the Kuldīga County Party, For Valmiera and Vidzeme and parties, joined by the Jēkabpils Regional Party. The Latgale Party, after a period of consideration, joined the alliance in July, although its Daugavpils chapter allied itself with The Progressives. The Progressives and Movement For! declined invitations to join the list.

Disqualifications

The Central Election Commission of Latvia used its powers to remove eight candidates from submitted lists. It did so after receiving notification from the Interior Ministry that the individuals in question were disqualified from election to the Saeima under the country's election law. The eight candidates were Aivars Zablockis and Nikolajs Žeļezņakovs (Eurosceptic Action Party), Zigfrīds Laicāns and Valdis Taupmanis (For Alternative), Edgars Krūmiņš (Latvian Association of Regions), Katrīna Brandala (The Progressives), Aivars Silinieks (Latvian Centrist Party) and Tatjana Ždanoka (Latvian Russian Union). Ždanoka has been barred in the past as Latvian courts have found that she was a member of the Communist Party of Latvia after 31 January 1991, making her ineligible. The Election Commission additionally sought information from the Security Police and the Constitution Protection Bureau to confirm her ineligibility.

Prime Minister candidates

Leading candidate by constituency

Other parties

• United for Latvia – on 17 May 2018 party leader Inese Muhamberga announced that the party will not run in the elections.
• Latvian Socialist Party – has not submitted a separate electoral list, instead urging "Latvian workers" to "vote politically bankrupt politicians out of office". Its alliance with Harmony was dissolved in 2014, although some of its members or supporters have continued to run as candidates from Harmony.

Opinion polls

Graphical summary

Results

Aftermath

Political leaders met on 18 October with the president Raimonds Vējonis. Although they failed to agree on a name for a prime minister, they reiterated their intention to form a coalition government and to exclude Harmony from any coalition, even if it required forming a coalition of five or six parties.

On 7 November 2018, Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis asked Bordāns to form a new coalition government and serve as the next Prime Minister of Latvia. Bordāns intended to form a five-party majority coalition, and he announced that his coalition will not include ZZS, a political alliance led by a Latvian oligarch Aivars Lembergs. However, other political parties wished to cooperate also with ZZS. Consequently, Bordāns did not reach an agreement with the coalition partners, and informed the President that he is unable to form the cabinet.

On 14 November 2018, Development/For!, National Alliance and New Unity pulled out of coalition talks with the New Conservative Party and KPV LV, making a five-way centre-right coalition government infeasible.

After Jānis Bordāns was unsuccessful in negotiating a governing coalition, President Raimonds Vējonis nominated Gobzems as Prime Minister of Latvia on 26 November 2018 and gave him two weeks to form a government. A week later, he proposed a coalition that would consist of his Who Owns the State? party along with the New Conservative Party, the National Alliance, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and New Unity, despite the conservatives' objection to the Greens and Farmers' inclusion in government. Fellow Who Owns the State? party leader Artuss Kaimiņš also opposed the inclusion of the Greens and Farmers, leading to a breakdown in talks later in the week. Gobzems then retracted his proposal for the coalition and instead called for a non-partisan cabinet of unnamed "best of the best" industry professionals, a proposal that was nearly immediately rejected by the conservatives, the nationalists, and New Unity on the grounds that it could increase the influence of the Harmony party. Although he had initially called on the president to hold early elections if his proposal were to be rejected, Gobzems instead offered a new four-party coalition that would not include the Union of Greens and Farmers. The president revoked Gobzems' nomination on 10 December 2018.

In December it was announced that coalition talks would continue into January.

On 7 January 2019, Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš was tasked by Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis with forming the next government, following the failures of previous nominees Bordans and Gobzems in a contentious negotiation process. Kariņš took office as prime minister on 23 January 2019, leading a broad centre-right coalition of five conservative and liberal parties that includes KPV LV, New Conservative Party, Development/For!, National Alliance and New Unity.

References

References

1. "Saeimas vēlēšanas". Latvian Central Election Committee.
2. "16 parties will contest Saeima elections". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
3. "President nominates Straujuma to carry on". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
4. Kaža, Juris. "Latvia's Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma Steps Down". Wall Street Journal.
5. "Government falls as Straujuma resigns". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
6. "President nominates Māris Kučinskis as Prime Minister". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
7. [http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2177_B.htm Electoral system] IPU
8. (20 April 2018). "Kustība Par!, Latvijas attīstībai un Izaugsme ir apvienībā Attīstībai/Par! (Movement For!, For Latvia's Development and Growth are now in the Movement/For! alliance)". Baltic News Network.
9. (14 August 2018). "13th Saeima elections: The parties (Part 2)". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
10. "Izveidota LSDSP, KDS un GKL apvienība SKG". Diena.lv.
11. "Izveidota LSDSP/KDS/GKL politisko partiju apvienība – Apvienība SKG". Gods kalpot mūsu Latvijai.
12. (21 April 2018). "Unity may become New Unity; Kariņš may become prime minister candidate". [[Baltic News Network]].
13. (16 June 2018). "'Jaunajai Vienotībai' pievienojas Jēkabpils reģionālā partija". DELFI.
14. Egle, Ināra. (23 May 2018). "Latgales partija ir apjukusi ("The Latgale Party is confused")". Diena.
15. (2 July 2018). "New Unity and Latgales party announce joint start at 13th Saeima elections". [[Baltic News Network]].
16. ""Progresīvo" vēlēšanu sarakstā startēs atsevišķi "Latgales partijas" Daugavpils nodaļas pārstāvji". TVNET.
17. (19 February 2018). ""Par!" neiesaistīsies "Vienotības" piedāvātajā apvienībā ar reģionu partijām – Valmieras Ziņas". Valmieras Ziņas.
18. [http://www.baltic-course.com/eng2/baltic_news/?doc=19834 Seven candidates not allowed to run in Saeima elections by Central Election Commission] [[The Baltic Course]]
19. (21 August 2018). "Russian Union leader Ždanoka nixed from Saeima elections". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
20. (22 August 2018). "Latvia's Russian Union leader Zdanoka barred from running in Saeima elections". [[The Baltic Times]].
21. (4 March 2018). "Jaunās konservatīvās partijas premjera amata kandidāts – Jānis Bordāns – Jaunā konservatīvā partija". Jaunā konservatīvā partija.
22. (23 March 2018). "Apvienības JAUNĀ VIENOTĪBA Ministru prezidenta kandidāts – Krišjānis Kariņš".
23. (13 May 2018). "KPV LV premjera amatam izvirza advokatu Aldi Gobzemu".
24. (19 May 2018). "Regionu apvienibu par savu premjera amata kandidatu izvirza smiltenu".
25. (21 May 2018). "13.Saeimas vēlēšanas: Nacionālā apvienība premjera amatam izvirza Robertu Zīli".
26. (18 June 2018). "Opposition Saskaņa party reveals economist and preacher as spearheads".
27. (30 June 2018). "Ždanoka may get shot at Saeima elections after all".
28. (19 June 2018). "'Progressives' party announces Latvian prime ministerial candidate". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
29. (14 July 2018). ""Attīstībai/Par" premjera amata kandidāts būs Artis Pabriks (precizēts)". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
30. "LZS kongress: Pret bēgļiem, par latvisku izglītību, nē koalīcijai ar "Saskaņu"".
31. ""Saskaņa" apstiprina Matīsa un Papules kandidatūras ministru amatiem".
32. (26 June 2018). "Nacionālā apvienība nosauc sarakstu līderus Saeimas vēlēšanām".
33. (16 July 2018). "Latvian political party Progresīvie to nominate women as candidate list leaders". [[Baltic News Network]].
34. (18 July 2018). "'Konservatīvie' nāk klajā ar savām Saeimas vēlēšanu lokomotīvēm".
35. (17 May 2018). "Partija 'Vienoti Latvijai' nestartēs Saeimas vēlēšanās (United for Latvia will not participate in the Saeima elections)". DELFI.
36. "Aicinājums Latvijas Republikas 13. Saeimas vēlētājiem- darbaļaudīm". Latvijas Sociālistiskā partija.
37. (1 October 2018). "Party ratings see support drop for Harmony, grow for newcomers". Public Broadcasting of Latvia.
38. [https://bnn-news.com/latvian-parties-talks-with-the-president-fail-to-outline-a-prime-minister-candidate-192639 Latvian parties’ talks with the president fail to outline a prime minister candidate] [[Baltic News Network]], 19 October 2018
39. "President Raimonds Vējonis on November 7 opted to nominate New Conservative Party leader Jānis Bordāns for the position of prime minister.". lsm.lv.
40. (22 October 2018). "Bordāns: Panāksim, ka Zaļo un zemnieku savienība paliek opozīcijā".
41. Žukova, Katrīna. (24 October 2018). "ZZS vieta koalīcijā – uz jautājuma zīmes".
42. (14 November 2018). "Latvia to look for new PM candidate after cabinet talks fail". reuters.com.
43. [https://web.archive.org/web/20181114164832/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/14/c_137606088.htm PM-designate fails to form Latvia's new government as three parties walk out of talks] Xinhua, 14 November 2018
44. (26 November 2018). "Gobzems nominated for PM". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
45. (27 November 2018). "President nominates Gobzems for PM". [[The Baltic Times]].
46. "Possible shape of Latvian cabinet revealed". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
47. (6 December 2018). "KPV LV leader objects to having Greens and Farmers Union in cabinet". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
48. (7 December 2018). "Gobzems proposes government of unelected, unnamed "best of the best"". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
49. ""Jaunā Vienotība" un JKP neredz iespēju turpināt valdības veidošanas sarunas Gobzema vadībā".
50. "Gobzems izteicis jaunu valdības veidošanas piedāvājumu; partijas atturīgas".
51. (10 December 2018). "Gobzems out of the picture as candidacy pulled by President". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
52. (10 December 2018). "Latvian president calls off KPV LV leader Aldis Gobzems nomination". [[Baltic News Network]].
53. [https://bnn-news.com/more-progress-for-latvia-s-new-government-expected-in-january-195488 More progress for Latvia’s new government expected in January] [[Baltic News Network]], 27 December 2018
54. (7 January 2019). "Krišjānis Kariņš nominated to be Latvia's next Prime Minister". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].