Stepaņenko proposes alcohol tests for officials at Saeima, government and Riga council

Jūlija Stepaņenko, prime ministerial candidate for the political alliance "Suverēnā vara/Apvienība Jaunlatvieši", has proposed installing breathalyzer devices at the entrances of the Saeima, the Cabinet of Ministers and Riga City Council to check officials for alcohol. She presented the idea in an interview on the podcast "Politiķi! Kas tas vispār bija?!".

According to Stepaņenko, the checks would apply to members of parliament, ministers, state secretaries and other officials. She compared the proposed testing to the alcohol checks already carried out on public transport drivers.

Checks after work too

Stepaņenko stressed that testing would be needed not only when officials arrive for work but also afterward, saying that, in her view, politicians sometimes consume alcohol at their workplaces. She said the proposal had been agreed with colleagues in her alliance, including Rūdolfs Brēmanis, who was previously involved in a scandal over aggressive behavior while intoxicated at a school reunion.

Commenting on that incident, Stepaņenko noted that the conflict occurred during Brēmanis' free time and that he had apologized. At the same time, she accused others of applying inconsistent standards to different politicians' behavior, also referencing her own dispute with Riga councilor Māris Spunde during a committee meeting, where she said she had been attacked.

Asked what kind of off-duty conduct by another colleague would make her question that person's fitness for office, Stepaņenko did not give a specific answer.