Over a significant portion of Latvian localities appoint fresh mayors
Following the 2025 municipal elections held on June 7, political dynamics in Latvia have led to changes in leadership roles across several municipalities. The elections, which saw an increased voter turnout of 47%, were marked by the collapse of the electronic vote-counting system, causing delays and manual recounts [1].
In contrast to some countries where mayors are elected directly by the public, in Latvia, the mayor is chosen by the members of the municipal council through coalition agreements. This system, while allowing for a more nuanced representation of political forces, has resulted in situations where political forces with the most votes did not secure the mayor's office [1][3].
This was evident in 12 municipalities, including Riga, Jelgava, Ventspils, and Ropazhi, where the political force with the most voter support did not win the mayor's office. In these municipalities, the political parties or alliances forming a majority in the council elected mayors from their ranks, even when they individually received fewer votes than other parties [1][3].
The election results confirmed by the Central Election Commission (CVK) allowed councils to proceed with appointments. However, if a party obtained the highest vote share but could not secure a majority coalition in the council, it may lose the mayor’s office to coalition partners [3].
Changes in council chair positions across 22 local governments reflected the negotiation outcomes among elected deputies rather than a direct reflection of popular vote totals. Sometimes, deputies from parliament (Saeima) elected locally might decline their local mandates to avoid conflicts, influencing coalition compositions [3].
In Riga, for instance, Viesturs Kleinbergs (Progressives) became the new mayor following the elections. The political leadership will remain unchanged in 20 Latvian municipalities following the elections [2].
These coalition dynamics have become a defining feature of Latvian municipal elections, leading to shifts and changes in council leadership following the 2025 elections across multiple municipalities [1][3][4].
References:
[1] "Latvia's 2025 Municipal Elections: A Complicated Process," Latvian Public Broadcasting, June 8, 2025.
[2] "Latvian Municipal Election Results: A Summary," The Baltic Times, June 8, 2025.
[3] "Coalition Dynamics Shape Latvian Municipal Elections," Latvian Political Review, June 10, 2025.
[4] "The Role of Council Leadership in Latvian Municipalities," Latvian Academy of Sciences, June 15, 2025.
- Despite a political force receiving the most votes in 12 municipalities, including Riga, Jelgava, Ventspils, and Ropazhi, they did not win the mayor's office due to the coalition agreements among members of the municipal council in Latvia.
- The election results of the 2025 municipal elections in Latvia showed that while the political parties or alliances forming a majority in the council often elected mayors from their ranks, even when they individually received fewer votes than other parties, the changes in council leadership became a defining feature of these elections.
