Latvians are going to the polls in parliamentary elections that could see a strong showing from a Russia-friendly party. In 2018 the country celebrates a hundred years since it first became an independent state.
Image: Reuters/I. Kalnins
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Latvians were voting Saturday in a general election that could see a pro-Kremlin-populist coalition come to power, as the Baltic state celebrates the centenary of its independence from the Tsarist Russian empire after the World War I.
With a quarter of voters remaining undecided on the eve of the election, according to independent polling firm SKDS, the result is still wide open.
But the center-left and pro-Moscow Harmony party enjoys strong support among Latvia's ethnic Russian minority, which makes up about a quarter of the country's 1.9 million population.
Harmony, which was formerly allied with the United Russia party of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is expected to put in another good showing after winning the majority of votes in the last three elections. It did not enter government solely because it failed to find any other party to form a coalition.
This time around, however, it could find the necessary ally in the KPV LV, a populist party led by former stage actor Artuss Kaimins, who has retained popularity with voters despite his being detained over corruption allegations in June.
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A willing partner
The KPV LV — which translates as "Who owns the state? — has suggested it is willing to work with any other parties, saying it had "no red lines."
Polls show that a relatively new rightist party, the New Conservative Party, which opposes Russian being considered a national language in Latvia, is also likely to enter parliament. The Russian language dominated during Latvia's periods under Soviet rule from 1940-41 and 1944-1991. The current national language is Latvian but there have been attempts by Russian speakers to re-establish their tongue at an official level alongside it.
Latvia, an EU and NATO member, is currently ruled by a center-right coalition of the Unity party, the Union of Greens and Farmers and the National Alliance, but opinion polls have shown it losing ground.
Saturday's election in Latvia, which sees 16 parties vying for 100 parliamentary seats, is being monitored by a team from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Polling stations are to close at 1900 UTC and final results are expected early on Sunday.
Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens'
Twelve percent of Latvia's population is classified as "non-citizens" by the government. They are ethnic-Russians who were not granted citizenship when the country gained independence in 1991. Benas Gerdziunas reports.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Down memory lane
The World War II memorial in Riga divides public opinion. Some see it as a symbol for the Soviet victory over fascism, whilst others - mostly Latvians - consider it as a symbol of the subsequent Soviet occupation.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Train to nowhere
Latvia's second-largest city Daugavpils is geographically and socially detached from Riga, with a population of over 50 percent ethnic Russians. The Kremlin has been keen to politicize the issue of non-citizens, with many fearing a similar separatism scenario to the one in Ukraine playing out in Latvia.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Left behind
Daugavpils has a population of just under 100,000 - a decrease of almost 10 percent since 2009 as people leave in the hope of better lives in western Europe. Daugavpils has also been portrayed as a potential hotbed for separatism.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
"I don't recognize Latvia's occupation"
Evgeny Drobat, a member of the Communist Party in the years during the transition to independence, told DW that he refuses to recognize Latvia's occupation - a prerequisite for taking the Latvian naturalization exam. He voted against the law which would establish many Russian-speakers as "non-citizens."
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Few rights for a "non-citizen"
Evgeny shows his "non-citizen" passport, which includes the title "alien" under his picture. This denies him full voting rights, entry to various professions, residency and working rights in the EU - just a few of almost 100 legal restrictions.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Russian dominates the streets
Riga - the cosmopolitan capital of Latvia - has seen a 13-percent decrease in its population since joining the EU. Even though official language is Latvian, Russian is spoken predominantly in the streets. Alexandr Aleksandrov, himself an "alien," thinks it’s all part of a bigger problem. "A lot of Russians who came here during the occupation were aggressively pushed out of society," he told DW.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
An integrated Russian?
"I don’ t feel victimized [by the status], I don't feel that separate, but in general I feel on the sidelines. I was thinking how this affected me, my vision; probably it did a lot." Alexandr maintains a level-headed approach. "The fact that Latvia was annexed legally, albeit using force, doesn’t make it any better."
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
The economic crisis bites
Baltic states were hit hard during the 2008 financial crash. Severe austerity contributed to the rise of social problems and a spike in emigration and subsequent depopulation. "Non-citizens," however, are denied working rights in the EU, among other legal restrictions.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Through the barricades
This memorial in Riga is dedicated to those who stood at the barricades in 1991. "Many Russians stood together with Latvians, and now they have to prove their loyalty?" said Aleksei Vasiljev, a teacher in Daugavpils. Aleksei, however, also said that the Russian-speakers in Daugavpils have "two presidents - one of them is Putin."
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
The Latvian way
Yelena Vecena, director of a school in Daugavpils, says that "language is not an obstacle to those who want to learn and to communicate." To become a Latvian citizen, it's necessary to take a naturalization exam, covering the basics of the constitution and language skills. The key question, however, is: "Do you recognize the Soviet occupation of Latvia?" For many, this remains a moral obstacle.
