Latvia

Abstract

The 2024 European Parliament elections in Latvia took place in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Traditional geopolitical cleavages were present but less prominent in election results with initially all nine elected MEPs aligning with the EU and Latvian interests. Elections in Latvia showed a high level of Europeanisation as, for a change, parties and candidates mainly debated EU issues and policies. These mostly related to security, European integration, socio-economic development, migration, and costs of the European Green Deal. The parties and candidates also focused on how to make the best use of EU opportunities. Turnout reaffirmed that only about a third of the population believes in participating in the EP elections and that the personal branding of candidates matters more than party lists.