Latvia's Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks dismissed after alleged drunk-driving arrest
Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks has been removed from office and expelled from the ZZS party following reports that police stopped him for driving with an extremely high blood alcohol level. The party plans to provide further details on Monday.
Latvia's Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks has been dismissed from his post, and the ZZS party has also decided to expel him from its ranks. Further details on the decision are expected on Monday, September 14, following a meeting of the party's board.
News outlet LSM, citing information available to Latvian Television, reports that Uzulnieks was removed from office after police reportedly caught him driving a car the previous day with a blood alcohol level of 3.5 per mille. News agency LETA has also received unofficial information pointing to a similar cause — that Uzulnieks may have been caught driving while heavily intoxicated. Uzulnieks could not be reached for comment at this time.
Political career
Uzulnieks headed the ZZS candidate list for the Zemgale region ahead of this October's parliamentary elections. His involvement with the Welfare Ministry dates back to 2014, when he became head of the office of then-minister Uldis Augulis (ZZS), later serving as parliamentary secretary at the ministry. He returned to that role in 2023, before being appointed welfare minister in 2025 under the government led by Evika Siliņa (JV), replacing Augulis, who had himself been dismissed. In May of this year, Uzulnieks was confirmed as welfare minister in the government of Andris Kulbergs (AS).
Background
According to LETA's archive records, Uzulnieks was born on July 28, 1986, in Talsi. He studied at the Latvian Police Academy and at Turība Business University.
