Loskutovs said he was the candidate to take up Kariņš’ mandate in the European Parliament. Although Saeima members Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš (New Unity) and Andrejs Judins (New Unity) are in higher positions on the New Unity’s ticket, “as far as I know they have decided not to pick up the mandate, and I do not see a reason to pass it up,” Loskutovs said.
Loskutovs could not say when he might take over Kariņš’ mandate as there are still formalities to be completed, which is going to take some time.
A lawyer by trade, in the 2000s Loskutovs was for about four years the head of Latvia's anti-graft office, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau. An attempt to sack him brought down Aigars Kalvītis' government in 2007.
During his time as a Unity MP, Loskutovs was instrumental in bringing down former MP and Supreme Court justice Vineta Muižniece after discovering she had falsified documents while working in parliament.
Kariņš, who ran in the elections on the Unity ticket, was elected to the European Parliament in 2014.
The next European Parliament elections will take place from May 23 to 26, and the term of the current EU Parliament will end in the summer.
