Chief Putin Critic Clinches Key Election Victory in Latvia
- US-born premier’s party favored to lead new ruling coalition
- Party representing Russians knocked out of parliament
Krisjanis Karins speaks to media after casting his ballot during the general election in Sigulda, Latvia, on Oct. 1.
Photographer: Gints Ivuskans/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, a staunch critic of Vladimir Putin, won a decisive victory in general elections as voters punished a party backed by ethnic Russians.
Bolstered by its vocal opposition of the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine, Karins’s New Unity won 19% of the vote, according to a final results released by the central election commission.