Only in the last elections to the Saeima — that is, in October 2022 — was the tradition "broken" and for the first time, turnout, albeit slightly, was higher. Before that, a different trend was observed — with each election, the number of voters steadily decreased.
However, it is hardly possible to consider the increased voter activity in 2022 as a turning point. Experts explain this activation by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Latvian right-wing politicians successfully exploited a kind of fear among a certain part of the population — according to their own admission, even those who had not voted for the last 10-15 years participated in the elections!
How to Attract Voters to the Polls?
But all of this is already part of history. It is now 2026, and the war, as frightening as it sounds, no longer surprises anyone, and parties will need to rethink how to attract citizens of Latvia to the elections.
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, recently called on parties in an interview with TV-24 to think about generating ideas that would encourage Latvians to participate in the elections. However, politicians currently lack ideas... So far, voters have only heard one idea — about a revolution in the electoral system. It was voiced by the well-known director Alvis Hermanis.
Let us remind you: he proposed to de facto abandon parties and switch to electing deputies exclusively from single-member districts, that is, to a majoritarian system. However, Hermanis himself undermined his idea, as the politically inexperienced director fell victim to the manipulations of those behind him.
Change the System
Currently, Hermanis and a couple of other little-known figures are trying to save the situation and promote their idea through a small party. However, it is uncertain whether voters will trust Hermanis a second time. Moreover, it remains completely unclear how the director and his associates will implement it in practice. It is obvious that to change the electoral legislation, a majority in the Saeima is needed, which means Hermanis and his team will need allies.
Interestingly, a similar initiative to switch to a majoritarian electoral system has also been put forward by the resurgent "Harmony Center" (SC). But first, this coalition needs to remind voters... of its existence and show people ready to implement this very idea. Apparently, while Hermanis is gathering the protest Latvian electorate, the SC is targeting the protest Russian-speaking electorate.
We might assume that several parties will attempt to revive the idea of nationwide presidential elections in their election programs.
Five Real Problems
In any case, most Latvians are probably more concerned about the actual resolution of socio-economic problems than the electoral system. Looking at the big picture, five main problems can be identified, the solutions to which Latvians expect from politicians.
Problem One — still very high inflation, especially on food products. All attempts by the current government to curb prices have proven ineffective. So far, none of the main political forces have proposed any more or less realistic ideas on how to stop the rise in prices for food and basic services.
Problem Two, which the president also mentioned in his year-end interview — is the accessibility of medical services. It is clear that the opposition will simply propose to increase budget allocations for healthcare. But again, these are empty promises — first, it is necessary to understand where to source these funds and how to realistically reduce waiting times for diagnostics and planned surgeries.
The long-standing idea of not treating our compatriots who have come to visit from emigration at the state's expense may save some funds, but it is unlikely to significantly reduce waiting times.
Problem Three — reducing the national debt or at least halting new borrowings.
To stop the pandemic of living on credit, it is necessary, firstly, to temper the appetites of state management, which could not be done in an election year but could have been accomplished in 2027 when no elections are planned.
Secondly, ideas are needed on how to ensure more rapid economic growth. So far, such ideas have not been voiced by the leaders of the main political forces.
Problem Four — the ongoing or rather worsening demographic crisis. In just the last 10 years, the population has decreased by 10 percent — for an already sparsely populated country, this is a significant decline. The increase in two types of benefits that the government implemented this year will clearly not resolve the birth rate issue. Comprehensive solutions are needed. Otherwise, doors will have to be opened even wider for migrants from third countries, which will certainly help solve the labor shortage problem but will create well-known side effects.
And finally, Problem Five — Latvia's lagging behind in the EU on all major indicators. What rescue program will the main political forces propose? And will they propose anything?
Intense Competition
It is somewhat reassuring that very strong competition is expected in these elections across all political flanks, meaning parties will have to come up with ideas to differentiate themselves from one another. It can be assumed that at least 14 political forces will compete for seats in the new Saeima!
On the conditionally right flank, that is, for the votes of Latvian voters, the National Alliance, the United List, the Union of Greens and Farmers, the new party "Rising Sun" (Austošā saule), Hermanis's party, which is planned to be renamed to "We Change the Rules," and several other small parties and coalitions will battle.
For the liberal voter, "New Unity" and "Progressives" will compete, as well as, likely, some coalition of small parties again.
For the Russian-speaking electorate, "Latvia First," "Sovereign Power," "Stability!" and "Harmony Center" will enter the fray.
It is expected that those parties that can offer strong candidates for prime ministers will perform successfully in the elections.
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