United List leaders say 42 Saeima seats came as a surprise even to them

Following the 15th Saeima election, the "United List" (Apvienotais saraksts, AS) provisionally secured 42 seats in parliament — a result that, according to the party's own representatives, came as a surprise even to its leadership.

The scale of the party's lead in the preliminary results was addressed in a joint interview given to both Latvian Radio and Latvian Television. Representatives openly acknowledged that such a strong level of support had not been the most likely scenario heading into the vote — the party's internal expectations reportedly had not anticipated a margin this wide.

A provisional count

It is worth noting that the figure of 42 seats currently reflects a provisional outcome, meaning the final distribution of seats among parties in the Saeima could still be adjusted once all voting data is fully compiled and confirmed. Even at this preliminary stage, however, the number points to substantial voter backing for the United List.

In the interview, party representatives did not hide their surprise at the outcome, describing it as unexpected relative to their own pre-election forecasts. During the campaign, the party's leadership had apparently prepared for a more cautious result, making the size of the mandate a clear sign that public support ran deeper than internally projected.

It remains unclear what options this result opens up for the United List regarding government formation or cooperation with other political forces, as the party's representatives did not go into detail on this point during the interview, based on the information available. Nonetheless, the fact that one of the election's participants secured such a large number of seats suggests a notable shift in the country's political landscape following this vote.