Kazimira Prunskiene
Encyclopedia
Kazimira Danutė Prunskienė (born February 26, 1943 in Švenčionys district municipality
) was the first Prime Minister of Lithuania
after the declaration of independence of March 11, 1990 and Minister of Agriculture in the government of Gediminas Kirkilas
.
Currently she is the leader of the Peasants and New Democratic Party Union
. In 1981–1986, she worked in the Federal Republic of Germany
.
She ran in the Lithuanian presidential election, 2004
against Valdas Adamkus
, hoping to receive votes from supporters of impeached president Rolandas Paksas
. She finished in second place in the first round and was defeated in the runoff.
Prime Minister Kazimira Prunskienė is also a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
, fiddle
, concertina
, and a pipe of his own making, Stankevičius was killed by the NKVD
in the Labanoras Forest when Kazimira was just one year old.
Stankevičiūtė attended the Vilnius University
, earning her degree in economics in 1965 and later earned her doctorate from the same university in the same subject during the late 1980s. Afterwards she stayed on at the university as first an instructor, then as a senior associate in the department of industrial economics.
Before getting her first degree, Stankevičiūtė married to Povilas Prunskus, changing her name to Prunskienė. Between 1963 and 1971 she bore three children—a son named Vaidotas and two daughters called Rasa and Daivita. She would later divorce her first husband and remarried in 1989 to Algimantas Tarvidas.
, that eventually grew into Lithuania's leading pro-independence group
She was eventually elected to position as Prime Minister on March 17, by the Lithuanian Supreme Council and immediately faced the problems brought on by an economic embargo set in place by Mikhail Gorbachev
in an attempt to force Lithuania back under control of the crumbling USSR. Prunskiene flew to countries all over the world, including the United States, to try to gain support for negotiations with Gorbachev about the embargo through such committees as the Helsinki Commission
. After nine months in office Prunskiene resigned and now heads the Department of Agriculture in Lithuania. She also is currently the leader of the National Farmer's Party.
under the alias "Šatrija". These were challenged in the courts. A lengthy and controversial trial resulted in Prunskienė's legal victory, but she is nevertheless often associated with the Russian influence in Lithuanian politics.
Švencionys district municipality
-Twin towns — Sister cities:Švenčionys district municipality is twinned with the following towns: Świdnica, Poland...
) was the first Prime Minister of Lithuania
Prime Minister of Lithuania
The Prime Minister of Lithuania is the head of the executive arm of Lithuania's government, and is chosen by the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas. The modern office of Prime Minister was established in 1990, although the official title was "Chairperson of the Council of Ministers" until 25...
after the declaration of independence of March 11, 1990 and Minister of Agriculture in the government of Gediminas Kirkilas
Gediminas Kirkilas
Gediminas Kirkilas is a former Prime Minister of Lithuania . He was appointed on 4 July 2006 after Zigmantas Balčytis, the provisional Prime Minister, failed to gather the required support from the Seimas. Kirkilas managed to get the necessary support from the Seimas on 4 July 2006...
.
Currently she is the leader of the Peasants and New Democratic Party Union
Peasants and New Democratic Party Union
Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union is an Agrarian centre-left political party in Lithuania led by industrial farmer Ramūnas Karbaukis.The party adopted its current name in February 2006...
. In 1981–1986, she worked in the Federal Republic of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
She ran in the Lithuanian presidential election, 2004
Lithuanian presidential election, 2004
Presidential elections were held in Lithuania in June 2004. In the first round on 13 June, the former President, Valdas Adamkus, led the former Prime Minister Kazimira Prunskienė. Adamkus won Prunskienė in the second round on 27 June....
against Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus was President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009.In Lithuania, the President's tenure lasts for five years; Adamkus' first term in office began on February 26, 1998 and ended on February 28, 2003, following his defeat by Rolandas Paksas in the next...
, hoping to receive votes from supporters of impeached president Rolandas Paksas
Rolandas Paksas
Rolandas Paksas is a Lithuanian politician who was President of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004. He was previously Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001, and he also served as Mayor of Vilnius from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001...
. She finished in second place in the first round and was defeated in the runoff.
Prime Minister Kazimira Prunskienė is also a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
Council of Women World Leaders
The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents established in 1996 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and first woman in the world to be democratically elected president, and Laura Liswood, Secretary General...
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
Early life and education
Kazimira Danutė Stankevičiūtė was born in the village of Vasiuliškiai. Her father, Pranas Stankevičius, worked as a forest ranger and owned several hectares of land. Known as a jolly musician who played at many instruments at country weddings, including the guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
, and a pipe of his own making, Stankevičius was killed by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
in the Labanoras Forest when Kazimira was just one year old.
Stankevičiūtė attended the Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
, earning her degree in economics in 1965 and later earned her doctorate from the same university in the same subject during the late 1980s. Afterwards she stayed on at the university as first an instructor, then as a senior associate in the department of industrial economics.
Before getting her first degree, Stankevičiūtė married to Povilas Prunskus, changing her name to Prunskienė. Between 1963 and 1971 she bore three children—a son named Vaidotas and two daughters called Rasa and Daivita. She would later divorce her first husband and remarried in 1989 to Algimantas Tarvidas.
Political career
Prunskiene shifted slowly from university to government circles. Joining the Lithuanian Communist Party in 1980, by 1986 she began acting as the deputy director for the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic's Agricultural Economics Research Institute. In 1988 Prunskiene helped found the grass-roots Lithuanian Restructuring Movement, better known as SajudisSajudis
Sąjūdis initially known as the Reform Movement of Lithuania, is the political organization which led the struggle for Lithuanian independence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was established on June 3, 1988 and was led by Vytautas Landsbergis...
, that eventually grew into Lithuania's leading pro-independence group
She was eventually elected to position as Prime Minister on March 17, by the Lithuanian Supreme Council and immediately faced the problems brought on by an economic embargo set in place by Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
in an attempt to force Lithuania back under control of the crumbling USSR. Prunskiene flew to countries all over the world, including the United States, to try to gain support for negotiations with Gorbachev about the embargo through such committees as the Helsinki Commission
Helsinki Commission
Helsinki Commission may mean:*HELCOM, the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission*U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe...
. After nine months in office Prunskiene resigned and now heads the Department of Agriculture in Lithuania. She also is currently the leader of the National Farmer's Party.
KGB allegations
It was alleged that Prunskienė held service in the Soviet KGBKGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
under the alias "Šatrija". These were challenged in the courts. A lengthy and controversial trial resulted in Prunskienė's legal victory, but she is nevertheless often associated with the Russian influence in Lithuanian politics.