Šuvajevs: Sprūds resigned as minister after dispute over political use of drone incident

Andris Šuvajevs, the Progressives' nominee for prime minister, commented on the resignation of former Defense Minister Andris Sprūds, also a Progressives representative, during an interview on LETA's podcast "Politiķi! Kas tas vispār bija?!".

According to Šuvajevs, Sprūds's decision to step down was driven by the actions of then-Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and her party, Jaunā Vienotība, in connection with a drone incident. Šuvajevs argued that Siliņa and Jaunā Vienotība attempted to use the incident for political purposes rather than addressing it on its merits.

Background

Sprūds served as defense minister as a representative of the Progressives party, while Siliņa headed the government at the time as prime minister from Jaunā Vienotība. Šuvajevs's account points to underlying tension between the two coalition partners over how the incident was handled and communicated publicly.

The published excerpt of the interview does not specify when exactly the drone incident occurred, what its precise circumstances were, or exactly how Siliņa and Jaunā Vienotība allegedly sought to exploit it. No official response from Siliņa or Jaunā Vienotība to these claims has been reported.

Šuvajevs is currently the Progressives' candidate for prime minister, and his assessment of a former party colleague's departure suggests the circumstances surrounding Sprūds's exit from government remain a point of political discussion, illustrating friction between coalition partners.