Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs was set to retain power after his centrist United List secured the country’s biggest parliamentary election victory since independence in 1991.

With 97 per cent of ballots counted after Saturday’s election, United List was on 35.3 per cent of the vote, enough for 42 seats in the 100-seat parliament, according to Reuters. The populist, MAGA-style Latvia First came second with about 13.1 per cent.

Kulbergs, a 47-year-old businessman and amateur rally driver, came to power in May after the previous coalition crumbled over stray Ukrainian military drones that flew undetected into Latvia. He pledged to keep supporting Ukraine and maintain a hard line toward Moscow.

“Any economic ties with Russia makes us weak. Yes, it can bring some extra money, but it’s a weakness Russia might exploit,” Kulbergs told reporters on election night.

Turnout was 51.8 per cent, down from 59.4 per cent in 2022. With coalition partners weakened, Kulbergs faces complicated talks to form a new government, possibly with the nationalist National Alliance or the liberal Progressives.