Party candidate stumbles over yes-or-no question on Crimea in TV debate

Latvian Television has launched a series of pre-election debates titled "Choose Latvia's Future," covering all five electoral districts ahead of the 15th Saeima elections in October. On Wednesday, September 3, the Zemgale district round took place, moderated by journalist Guntis Bojārs and featuring representatives of ten parties and alliances.

A tricky moment on a simple question

The debate format required participants to answer certain statements strictly with "yes" or "no," without the option to abstain — a format actually proposed by Violeta Drozdoviča herself, the second candidate on the "Stabilitātei!" party's Zemgale list. Drozdoviča, an accounting assistant by profession, has no prior experience as a lawmaker.

When Bojārs then asked her to confirm, with only "yes" or "no," whether Crimea is Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, Drozdoviča began hesitating, shaking her head and flipping between the "yes" and "no" cards she was holding, ultimately failing to give a clear answer.

Online reaction

Footage of the exchange spread quickly online, drawing heavy engagement from social media users. Several commenters described the moment as a clever tactical move by the moderator, with one calling it "checkmate." Others pointed out the irony of a representative from a party named "For Stability" being unable to state a stable position, while some suggested Drozdoviča simply misunderstood the question.

Besides Drozdoviča and Bojārs, the debate included representatives from the "United List," "Sovereign Power"/"Alliance New Latvians," "Latvia First," "The Progressives," "We Change the Rules," the Union of Greens and Farmers, "New Unity," the National Alliance, and "For the Development of Latvia."