Municipal elections in Latvia have concluded, and in some places, it seems that nothing has changed — the same people remain at the helm of local governments. Some of them carry heavy scandal-laden baggage, yet voters appear undisturbed. Why is that? BNN posed this question to political scientist and co-owner of the company Mediju tilts, Filips Rajevskis.
In Jūrmala, the city will once again be led by Gatis Truksnis (LZP), who previously held the mayoral post for many years but lost it in 2022 following a conviction for falsifying official documents. In Rēzekne, Aleksandrs Bartaševičs (Together for Latvia), who was suspended a year and a half ago due to financial violations, won a convincing victory. Daugavpils is likely to continue under the leadership of current mayor Andrejs Elksniņš (Go, Latgale!), and concerns about an illegal electricity connection at his family property or the excessive use of Russian in Latvia’s second-largest city seem not to faze many. Meanwhile, in Preiļi Municipality, Adamovičs — once convicted of fraud — is returning as council chair.
What explains such high levels of voter trust? Are things in these municipalities truly running with the flawless precision of a Swiss watch, leaving residents with no desire for change?
Filips Rajevskis believes that, in the respective municipalities, most people genuinely don’t crave change
and are satisfied with the work of their local politicians. “Another explanation is the lack of a meaningful opposition capable and ready to challenge these politicians. The biggest issue is that all the names mentioned are national-level politicians, which puts them in a slightly higher league. That makes it harder for serious local-level contenders to emerge,” says the political analyst.
When asked by BNN why voters are seemingly unaffected by these politicians’ known reputational issues, Rajevskis reiterates the lack of strong local competition. “The media can publish whatever they like in national news, but voters then look at their actual options and end up voting for the familiar ‘evil’ — whose pros and cons they already know. That’s what shapes voter choice.”
Does this mean, BNN asks, that Latvia is in a state of stagnation and people largely don’t care who runs local government? Rajevskis disagrees. “There are councils where long-term leaders have been replaced and continue to change, so the situation is not so black and white.” As an example, he mentions the once-dominant political force Harmony in Riga, which has now lost its influence and will need a radically new strategy if it wants to stay on the political stage.
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