United List wins 41 Saeima seats, but government talks have yet to begin

In Latvia's parliamentary election, the United List (AS) won 41 of the 100 seats in the next Saeima. The party will now need allies to form a government, and no previous Latvian election has produced such a result, so there are no clear models for what happens next.

What Kulbergs says

The result was secured for the party by politician Andris Kulbergs. Three days after the vote, he said he wanted to put a government together as quickly as possible. However, he has still not begun consultations with other parties, and he now says it is too early to talk about the shape of a government.

People in AS had hoped for 25 or 26 seats. With that outcome, the party would have been the largest faction in the Saeima and could have talked to potential partners from a more comfortable position. But 41 seats is not a majority, which requires 51 votes. At least ten more votes will therefore be needed just to approve a government, and support will also be required for every later decision.

Possible deals

Last week Kulbergs said the party wants to carry out change and that whoever signs up to it will be its partner. That leaves open the possibility of separate deals, in which different partners back different proposed changes each time.

As the largest force in the Saeima, AS will be answerable for the actions of any government.