Latvian ex-PM Kariņš decides to step down as Minister of Foreign Affairs amid two ongoing scandals with his party

Former Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš has decided to step down as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He will leave his post on the 10th of April. According to him, this date was picked because the next meeting of the Saeima is scheduled for the 11th of April. This is when the parliament will be able to select a new minister.
For several months now the scandal regarding the private flights used by Krišjānis Kariņš during his term as Latvia’s PM for various foreign missions has been on the minds of many residents of Latvia.
According to information from Latvian State Chancellery, between 2021 and 2023, a total of EUR 613 830 was spent on private flights of delegations led by Kariņš. Together with funding from the European Union, costs reached EUR 1.36 million.
Last week the Prosecutor General’s Office reported having commenced a criminal procedure regarding a possible wasting of budget funds on private flights.
Kariņš was elected to the 14th of Saeima. This means he has the right to return to the Saeima as a deputy if he so desires.
Before he became Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kariņš was the prime minister in two governments in a row.
LETA’s archive information shows that the politician was previously the founder of Unity’s predecessor – New Age party. Kariņš also previously served as Saeima deputy, Ministry of Economy and MEP.
He is also one of New Unity’s main candidates for the upcoming European Parliament elections.
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