Valdis Zatlers
Encyclopedia
Valdis Zatlers is a Latvian politician and former physician who served as the seventh president of Latvia from 2007 to 2011. He won the Latvian presidential election
of 31 May 2007. He became President of Latvia on 8 July 2007 and left office on 7 July 2011 after failing to win reelection for a second term.
, who graduated from the Institute of Medicine
in Riga
in 1979. After studies he worked at Riga Hospital No. 2 and became chief of its traumatology
unit in 1985. He was the director of the Latvian Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital from 1994 and chief of its board from 1998, he left these offices on 5 July 2007.
Zatlers participated in the cleanup operations after the disaster at the Chernobyl
nuclear plant. On 27 April 2007, he received the Order of the Three Stars
(Trīs Zvaigžņu Ordenis) of the 4th rank for his contributions in care for health of the patients and promotion of orthopedics in Latvia.
in 1988–1989.
On 22 May 2007, the ruling parliamentary coalition of the Latvian Saeima
officially nominated Zatlers as its presidential candidate. Zatlers himself was not a member of any political party, but had signed the manifesto of the People's Party
when the party was founded in 1998.
In his TV speech on 28 May 2011 President Zatlers called for radical reforms to curb the corrupting influence of oligarchs. He accused lawmakers of being soft on corruption and announced that he would use his constitutional powers
to initiate a referendum on the dissolution
of the current Saeima
. The formal cause of this decision was refusal of the parliament to sanction the search at the home of Ainārs Šlesers
, a Saeima
member and former minister. Zatlers is the first President of Latvia to use these reserve presidential powers. The Constitution of Latvia
foresees that if the people will support Zatlers' decision, the Saeima will be dismissed and new parliament elections organized.
On 2 June 2011 an MP from the Greens and Farmers' Union Andris Bērziņš
defeated the incumbent Valdis Zatlers in presidential elections despite Zatlers previously having been widely expected to win the vote.
He founded the Reform Party in July 2011.
has questioned the legality of this practice. Zatlers' supporters point out that donations of this form are accepted by many Latvian doctors. The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB)
characterized Zatlers' behaviour as improper and has said that it will not finalize its investigation of the matter for several months. In July 2008, KNAB ruled that Zatlers hadn't violated the law by accepting these donations.
Opposing politicians have criticized Zatlers for not paying taxes on these gifts.
The State Revenue Service, which had previously requested him to pay taxes on the gifts, unable to fine him for tax evasion, fined Zatlers 250 Lats
for missing data in officials declaration.
In 2003, Zatlers was a subject of an investigation by KNAB anti-corruption office. The investigation was started based on a request by Āris Auders, a former subordinate of Zatlers who had become the Minister of Healthcare. Auders had accused Zatlers in buying low-quality spinal implants from companies run by Zatlers' wife and the deputy director of Zatlers' hospital. The investigation cleared Zatlers of all charges.
, he is fluent in English and Russian.
Latvian presidential election, 2007
A presidential election was held in the Latvian Saeima on 31 May 2007. The government candidate Valdis Zatlers defeated Aivars Endziņš.-Nominations:...
of 31 May 2007. He became President of Latvia on 8 July 2007 and left office on 7 July 2011 after failing to win reelection for a second term.
Medical career
Valdis Zatlers is an orthopedic surgeonOrthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
, who graduated from the Institute of Medicine
Riga Stradiņš University
Rīga Stradiņš University is a public university located in the city of Riga, Latvia. The Stradiņš name in the university’s title is fitting, since members of the Stradiņš family have had a significant influence on the course of community and academic life in Latvia for over a century...
in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
in 1979. After studies he worked at Riga Hospital No. 2 and became chief of its traumatology
Traumatology
Traumatology is the study of wounds and injuries caused by accidents or violence to a person, and the surgical therapy and repair of the damage. Traumatology is a branch of medicine. It is often considered a subset of surgery and in countries without the specialty of trauma surgery it is most...
unit in 1985. He was the director of the Latvian Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital from 1994 and chief of its board from 1998, he left these offices on 5 July 2007.
Zatlers participated in the cleanup operations after the disaster at the Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
nuclear plant. On 27 April 2007, he received the Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars is order awarded for merits in service for Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra"...
(Trīs Zvaigžņu Ordenis) of the 4th rank for his contributions in care for health of the patients and promotion of orthopedics in Latvia.
Political career
Valdis Zatlers was a board member of the Popular Front of LatviaPopular Front of Latvia
The Popular Front of Latvia was a political organization in Latvia in late 1980s and early 1990s which led Latvia to its independence from the Soviet Union. It was similar to the Popular Front of Estonia and the Sąjūdis movement in Lithuania....
in 1988–1989.
On 22 May 2007, the ruling parliamentary coalition of the Latvian Saeima
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
officially nominated Zatlers as its presidential candidate. Zatlers himself was not a member of any political party, but had signed the manifesto of the People's Party
People's Party (Latvia)
The People's Party was a centre-right political party in Latvia. It described itself as a conservative party.Tautas partija was founded in 1998 by Andris Šķēle, a businessman and former prime minister, who was the chairman of the party until 2002. Because of Šķēle's powerful personality, many...
when the party was founded in 1998.
In his TV speech on 28 May 2011 President Zatlers called for radical reforms to curb the corrupting influence of oligarchs. He accused lawmakers of being soft on corruption and announced that he would use his constitutional powers
Parliamentary dissolution power of Latvian President
The Constitution of Latvia, ratified on February 15, 1922, contains a provision regarding one of the reserve powers of the President of Latvia to initiate the dissolution of the parliament. According to Article 48-50 of the Constitution,...
to initiate a referendum on the dissolution
Latvian parliamentary dissolution referendum, 2011
A referendum on whether the Saeima should be dissolved early was held in Latvia on 23 July 2011. President Valdis Zatlers used his parliamentary dissolution power for the first time in the history of Latvia...
of the current Saeima
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
. The formal cause of this decision was refusal of the parliament to sanction the search at the home of Ainārs Šlesers
Ainārs Šlesers
Ainārs Šlesers is a Latvian politician. He is a member of the LPP/LC and a deputy of the 9th Saeima .-External links:*...
, a Saeima
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
member and former minister. Zatlers is the first President of Latvia to use these reserve presidential powers. The Constitution of Latvia
Constitution of Latvia
The Constitution of Latvia is the fundamental law of the Republic of Latvia. It was adopted by, as it states itself, the people of Latvia, in a freely elected Constitutional Assembly, on 15 February 1922 and came into force on 7 November 1922. It was influenced by ideas of the Weimar Constitution...
foresees that if the people will support Zatlers' decision, the Saeima will be dismissed and new parliament elections organized.
On 2 June 2011 an MP from the Greens and Farmers' Union Andris Bērziņš
Andris Bērziņš (Latvian President)
Andris Bērziņš is a Latvian businessman and politician. He is the President of Latvia, having won the presidential election held on 2 June 2011.From 1993 to 2004, Bērziņš was the President of Unibanka.- Early career :...
defeated the incumbent Valdis Zatlers in presidential elections despite Zatlers previously having been widely expected to win the vote.
He founded the Reform Party in July 2011.
Controversy
Before his election he confessed that as a doctor he had accepted private donations from his patients. Transparency InternationalTransparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
has questioned the legality of this practice. Zatlers' supporters point out that donations of this form are accepted by many Latvian doctors. The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB)
Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB)
The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau is a specialised anti-corruption authority of Latvia. Its aim is to fight corruption in Latvia in a coordinated and comprehensive way through prevention, investigation and education...
characterized Zatlers' behaviour as improper and has said that it will not finalize its investigation of the matter for several months. In July 2008, KNAB ruled that Zatlers hadn't violated the law by accepting these donations.
Opposing politicians have criticized Zatlers for not paying taxes on these gifts.
The State Revenue Service, which had previously requested him to pay taxes on the gifts, unable to fine him for tax evasion, fined Zatlers 250 Lats
Latvian lats
The lats is the currency of Latvia. It is abbreviated as Ls. The lats is sub-divided into 100 santīmi ....
for missing data in officials declaration.
In 2003, Zatlers was a subject of an investigation by KNAB anti-corruption office. The investigation was started based on a request by Āris Auders, a former subordinate of Zatlers who had become the Minister of Healthcare. Auders had accused Zatlers in buying low-quality spinal implants from companies run by Zatlers' wife and the deputy director of Zatlers' hospital. The investigation cleared Zatlers of all charges.
Personal life
Valdis Zatlers is married to Lilita Zatlere and has three children. Other than his native languageLatvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
, he is fluent in English and Russian.
Honours and awards
- Order of the Three StarsOrder of the Three StarsOrder of the Three Stars is order awarded for merits in service for Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra"...
Class I with Chain (2008) - Order of ViestursOrder of ViestursThe Order of Viesturs is a Latvian state order founded in 1938, which fell into abeyance during the years of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, but was reestablished in 2004 in the Republic of Latvia...
class I (2008) - Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King TomislavGrand Order of King TomislavThe Grand Order of King Tomislav , or more fully the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star , is the highest state order of the Republic of Croatia...
("For outstanding contribution to the promotion of friendship and development co-operation between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Latvia." – 2 September 2008) - Order of Prince Yaroslav the WiseOrder of Prince Yaroslav the WiseThe Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise is an award of Ukraine. It is awarded for distinguished services to the state and people of the Ukrainian nation. The Order was instituted on August 23, 1995 by the Ukrainian President, Leonid Kuchma....
First Class (Ukraine, 2008) - Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra MarianaOrder of the Cross of Terra MarianaThe Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana was instituted in 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state. The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is bestowed upon the President of the Republic. Presidents of the Republic who have ceased to hold office shall keep the Order of the Cross of...
(Estonia, 2009) - Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain, 2009)
- Order of Saint George (Georgia, 2009)
- Order of the White RoseOrder of the White RoseThe Order of the White Rose of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor,...
(2010) - Order of Vytautas the GreatOrder of Vytautas the GreatThe Order of Vytautas the Great is the Lithuanian Presidential Award. It may be conferred on the heads of Lithuania and foreign states, as well as their citizens, for distinguished services to the State of Lithuania.-History:...
(Lithuania, 2011) - Honorary doctorates of Yerevan State UniversityYerevan State UniversityYerevan State University is a university in Yerevan, Armenia. Founded on May 16 1919, it is the largest university in the country with 110 departments. Of its 3,150 employees, 1,190 comprise the teaching staff which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents , and 360 assistant lecturers...
(2009), John Paul II Catholic University of LublinJohn Paul II Catholic University of LublinJohn Paul II Catholic University of Lublin is located in Lublin, Poland. Presently it has an enrollment of over 19,000 students...
(2010) and the Riga Stradiņš UniversityRiga Stradiņš UniversityRīga Stradiņš University is a public university located in the city of Riga, Latvia. The Stradiņš name in the university’s title is fitting, since members of the Stradiņš family have had a significant influence on the course of community and academic life in Latvia for over a century...
in Riga (2010) - Order of LibertyOrder of Liberty (Ukraine)The Order of Liberty is an award of Ukraine. The Order was instituted on April 10, 2008, by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to honour special merits of citizens for strengthening the Sovereignty and Independence of Ukraine, consolidating Ukrainian society, developing Democracy, advancing...
(Ukraine, 26 April 2011)