CVK data reveals wealth and social diversity among Saeima election candidates

Among the candidates registered for the 15th Saeima elections, several stand out in the data submitted to the Central Election Commission (CVK). LETA's analysis of the CVK data reveals extremes in vehicle ownership, real estate, debt, and other unusual characteristics.

Imants Konutis, a candidate from the "Latvija pirmajā vietā" (LPV) party, leads in number of vehicles with 25 declared – including cars, trailers, buses, motorcycles, trucks, a motorboat, excavator, bulldozer, moped, and minibus. Saskaņa Centrs candidate Aleksejs Koteļeņecs has 21 vehicle entries, 14 of which are motorcycles and a moped. The alliance "Suverēnā vara/Jaunlatvieši" candidate Aleksandrs Blūmentāls declared 20 vehicles, including 12 cars, five trailers, and three buses. Several other candidates also own more than ten vehicles, often resembling business fleets. For example, ZZS candidate Andrejs Kindzulis has 19 vehicles, nine of which are trucks.

In real estate, Sandris Bergmanis (Saskaņa Centrs) tops the list with 27 property entries, mainly land and apartments in Rīga and Ķekava municipality. National Alliance candidate Aldis Ločmelis has 25 properties, mostly land in Latgale, while LPV candidate Edgars Bārens has 22 properties, including 17 apartments in Valmiera municipality. Several candidates declared properties abroad, such as in France, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lithuania, Egypt, Tenerife, Finland, and the United Kingdom.

The financial section highlights candidates with the largest debts. Gints Vilgerts (party "Mēs mainām noteikumus") declared €1.14 million in liabilities. LPV candidate Kristaps Krištopans has €822,183, National Alliance candidate Imants Parādnieks €500,915, and Gobzema saraksts candidate Sergejs Pirogovs €409,838. Conversely, some candidates reported substantial financial assets. Artūrs Tjušs (Jaunā Vienotība) has assets exceeding €2 million, mainly from capital shares. Jānis Vilgerts ("Mēs mainām noteikumus") also has over €2 million, including large loans issued. Atis Švinks (Progresīvie) has approximately €1.7 million.

Some candidates stand out for unusual currencies or financial instruments. Mārtiņš Krusts ("Mēs mainām noteikumus") reported eight different currencies, including Swiss francs, Danish kroner, Hong Kong dollars, Japanese yen, and others. Andris Eglājs (Progresīvie) declared gold and silver – 20.25 XAU and 15.96 XAG, worth about €74,800.

Education data show several candidates with numerous entries. Jeļena Stepule, Evita Šīrante, and Māris Indulis Graudiņš each have six education records. Stepule's trajectory includes qualifications as a legal assistant, lawyer, occupational safety specialist, construction technician, and building manager. Graudiņš's list features foreign universities and political campaign management programs. Meanwhile, 24 candidates reported only basic education, which stands out against the majority with higher education.

Biographical data reveals that 12 candidates hold citizenship of another country, including Canada, Australia, the USA, Germany, Spain, Lebanon, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In total, LETA identified 991 "flags" across various categories, illustrating the wide diversity in the social and financial profiles of the 2026 Saeima candidates.