The Center-Right Bloc of Parties Win the Latvian Parliamentary Elections

The ruling center-right party was among the bloc of center-right and centrist parties winning a majority of votes and seats in the Latvian parliamentary elections last week and who will join together in another coalition government. Because of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, support among the significant Russophone minority for pro-Russian parties dropped, especially toward parties supportive of ex-Soviet intelligence officer Vladimir Putin, the Russian tyrant who is trying to restore the Soviet Union. The leading Russophone party had expressed opposition to Russia’s aggression. Latvia, like Ukraine, was a former Soviet Republic that had been independent. The Soviets invaded the Baltic States, including also Estonia and Lithuania, during the Second World War in 1940 when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were allied with Nazi Germany. The Baltic States, like other former Soviet Republics, fear further Russian aggression. Putin uses the pretext of supporting Russian-speakers in Ukraine, for backing separatists and annexation of their territory.