Banned from running in the October 28 election due to her imprisonment, Tymoshenko's video showed the 51-year-old's determination to reach her supporters and rally her Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party, demoralized by the loss of her leadership.

MSN: Tymoshenko calls on Ukraine to rise up against "mafia-rule" - World news - Europe | NBC News

The international secretary of the Latvian Fatherland and Freedom Party, Janis Tomelis, recently met William Hague, the Tory shadow foreign secretary, to discuss an alliance.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

To build a majority, they will probably look either to Fatherland and Freedom, the outgoing right-wing nationalist party, which is vehemently opposed to the liberalisation of citizenship laws, or the centrist New Party, led by Raimunds Pauls, a musician.

ECONOMIST: Latvia votes for Europe

The main non-Communist opposition grouping there, Fatherland-All Russia, is merging with the main pro-Kremlin party, Unity.

ECONOMIST: The country may get poorer, again