As already reported, the now former Minister of Welfare Reinis Uzulnieks (the Prime Minister removed him from office today) was detained while driving under the influence of alcohol and placed in a detention center! This is the first case in the recent history of Latvia where a sitting minister ends up in a detention center! It should be noted that Minister Uzulnieks, like all other government members, has access to top-secret information. Looking at recent history, Uzulnieks is also the first minister to be detained for driving a vehicle while intoxicated. As for the members of the Saeima, it is publicly known that at one time the then-deputy Veiko Spolitis was detained for driving under the influence, but since his blood alcohol content was 1.4 per mille, he received only an administrative penalty and public reprimand. He himself expressed remorse for his actions. In 2015, then-deputy Andris Vilks was spotted drunk in a public place. However, he would have gotten off lightly if he hadn't caused a drunken disturbance in an ambulance and then in a hospital. As a result, Vilks resigned his deputy mandate and left politics - seemingly for good... Apparently, the political career of the now former minister Reinis Uzulnieks has also come to an end. But this is not the only trouble he faces - the car he was driving when he was detained, a 2022 Škoda Kodiaq, will surely be confiscated and sent to Ukraine, and he faces community service, a huge fine, and a 5-year driving ban. The duties of the Minister of Welfare during the term of this government will be temporarily performed by the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Uldis Augulis.
