Brūvers on Three Surprises of the Saeima Election: Turnout, Kulbergs' Success and the Pro-Putin Vote
In an opinion piece on OgreNet, Pāvils Brūvers names three things that surprised him in Latvia's Saeima (parliament) election: voters' attitude to politics, the result of the Unity List, and the success of Sovereign Power/Jaunlatvieši. This is the author's view, not an official review of the results.
The results of Latvia's Saeima (parliament) election have prompted debate. In an opinion article on the local news site OgreNet, Pāvils Brūvers sets out what he found unexpected. The text is the author's personal assessment, and its conclusions are not official data.
Contempt for politics
Brūvers explains his first surprise with a thought from German journalist and political commentator Peter Hahne's book "Rūpējieties par pilsētas labklājību" (Take Care of the City's Welfare). Hahne writes that the disappearance of moral values and the bankruptcy of the elite feed election boycotts and contempt for politics. Brūvers believes some of this also applies to Latvian society. He hopes many more voters will take part in the next election.
Kulbergs and the Unity List
The second surprise was the unexpectedly strong result of the Unity List ("Apvienotais saraksts"). The author sees it as a personal victory for Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs rather than for the alliance, because voters saw him as a determined defender of the people's interests. Brūvers says it is unclear how much support the prime minister will get from the alliance when reforms hit the interests of influential people. He argues that many have profited from the state's inefficiency and opaqueness and will try to preserve it. To overcome that, he says, Kulbergs will need strong allies.
Sovereign Power/Jaunlatvieši
The third surprise was the strong support for the alliance Sovereign Power/Jaunlatvieši. The author calls them Putinists. He says that in pre-election debates they evaded questions and did not condemn Russia's aggression in Ukraine. In his words, the alliance will carry more weight in the Saeima than the National Alliance.
What surprised him most is that its voters include some Latvian patriots. As an example he cites an old friend who joined the Sovereign Power party and objects to sending military equipment and drones to Ukraine. Brūvers believes his friend's views were shaped by information from fellow party members.
