RIGA, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins’ centre-right New Unity party was set to win Saturday’s national election, an exit poll showed, after a campaign dominated by security concerns after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
If confirmed, the result should mean Latvia remains a leading voice alongside its Baltic neighbors Lithuania and Estonia in pushing the European Union for a decisive stance against Russia.
Motorists drive past a giant election campaign poster depicting Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins of the New Unity party in Riga, Latvia September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins
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But it could widen a rift between the country’s Latvian majority and its Russian-speaking minority over their place in society, amid widespread national anger over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.
The first Latvian head of government to survive a full four-year term, Karins, 57, has benefited from his policy in Russia, which included restricting the entry of Russian citizens traveling from Russia and Belarus .
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Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius and Janis Laizans in Riga; Editing by Justyna Pawlak and David Holmes
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