RIGA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Latvia's ruling center-right New Unity party has emerged as the winner of this year's European Parliament election, gaining 26.24 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results announced at midnight by the Baltic country's election authority.
The Central Election Commission informed that voter turnout in elections on Saturday reached 33.6 percent, which was higher than the previous European Parliament elections in 2014.
Two of Latvia's eight mandates in the European Parliament are going to New Unity members -- current European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and veteran Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sandra Kalniete.
The opposition left-wing Harmony party, which took second place with 17.45 percent, will be represented in the EU legislature by former Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs and his former deputy Andris Ameriks.
Long-standing MEP Roberts Zile and Latvia's current Culture Minister Dace Melbarde, meanwhile, have been elected to the European Parliament on the ticket of the right-wing National Alliance, which finished third with 16.4 percent of the vote.
Commenting on the election results to the media, political scientist Lelde Metla-Rozentale highlighted the success of New Unity party, which has "risen like Phoenix from ashes" after comparatively modest performance in last year's parliamentary election.
The expert also attributed the comparative success of the National Alliance to the unchanging loyalty of its electorate.
