Witnesses say minister Uzulnieks seemed normal at election debate hours before his detention

A pre-election debate took place on Saturday afternoon, and just a few hours later, about 70 kilometers from the venue, Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks was detained. Following his detention, unofficial reports circulated suggesting the politician may already have been intoxicated during the debate.

However, attendees interviewed by "TV3 Ziņas" dispute this. Vaira Lejniece, who sat next to Uzulnieks during the event, said he appeared talkative and actively participated in the discussion, and that she noticed nothing suspicious about his behavior.

Debate moderator Gints Jankovskis likewise said he did not notice any inappropriate conduct from the politician during the event. He added that after the debate, Uzulniek went to a campaign tent.

Party response

Following the incident, the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) convened an emergency board meeting. Afterward, the party issued a statement announcing a decision to remove Reinis Uzulnieks from his post as welfare minister. The party also called for his expulsion from the Latvian Farmers' Union, one of the parties forming the ZZS alliance.