"Cehs.lv": After minister's drunk-driving scandal, satire column proposes shift work for parliament
Delfi's satirical column "Cehs.lv" reacted to the case of former Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks, who was found driving with about three per mille of alcohol in his blood, by jokingly suggesting Latvia's parliament adopt a shift-work system to curb drinking problems among politicians.
Scandal involving a former minister
Delfi's humor and satire section "Cehs.lv" addressed the recent case of former Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks, who was found driving a car with roughly three per mille of alcohol in his blood. The incident occurred just a day after fellow party members had publicly stated that the politician had no problem with drinking. The column's author, writing under the pseudonym K. Āls, noted this was not an isolated case of officials being under the influence while carrying out their duties, also referencing an incident involving Normunds Rutulis, who was driving a car when it was badly damaged in a crash.
The author observed that public reaction in comments and even in published articles often tried to justify such behavior, which the column criticized.
A proposal: shift work for parliament
"Cehs.lv" expressed doubt that past efforts to fight alcoholism — awareness campaigns and various restrictions — have produced results. The column noted that some restrictions have instead pushed people toward alternative sources of alcohol, such as cologne, and that Latvia ranks high in OECD statistics related to substance use.
As a satirical solution, the author proposed that Latvia's Saeima could become the world's first parliament to operate on a shift-work system, similar to practices in certain industries where employees are regularly tested and barred from alcohol during their work rotation. The author said he does not believe warnings or stern words will change the situation, offering this deliberately provocative idea instead.
