Andris Bērziņš (president) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andris Bērziņš
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Bērziņš in 2010
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| 8th President of Latvia | |
| In office 8 July 2011 – 8 July 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Valdis Dombrovskis Laimdota Straujuma |
| Preceded by | Valdis Zatlers |
| Succeeded by | Raimonds Vējonis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 December 1944 Nītaure, Latvian SSR |
| Political party | Communist Party (Before 1990) Popular Front (1990–1993) Union of Greens and Farmers (2002–2011) Independent (2011–present) |
| Spouses | Dzintra Bērziņa (past) Dace Seisuma
(m. 2011; div. 2016) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Riga Technical University University of Latvia |
Andris Bērziņš (born December 10, 1944) is a Latvian businessman and politician. He served as the President of Latvia from 2011 to 2015. Before becoming president, Bērziņš was the head of a bank called Unibanka for many years. He was chosen as President by the Saeima, which is Latvia's parliament, on June 2, 2011.
Contents
Early Life and Work
Andris Bērziņš was born on December 10, 1944, in Nītaure, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He finished primary school in Nītaure in 1958. He then went to secondary school in Sigulda until 1962.
After school, he studied at the Riga Polytechnical Institute. He graduated in 1971 as a radio engineer. He started working at a factory called "Elektrons." He worked his way up to become a director there. In 1988, he became a deputy minister for city services in Latvia. He also studied economics at the University of Latvia and finished those studies in 1988.
In 1989, Bērziņš was elected to a local council in Valmiera. He became the head of that council. In 1990, he was elected to the Supreme Council, which was Latvia's highest governing body at the time. He joined a group called the Latvian Popular Front. On May 4, 1990, he voted for the declaration that brought back Latvia's independence.
After his time as a deputy ended in 1993, Bērziņš became the head of the Privatization Fund at the Bank of Latvia. He also became the president of Latvijas Unibanka, a large bank, from 1993 to 2004. He was a very successful businessman. He also worked as an advisor for the Latvian branch of SEB Bank. He was also on the board of several companies, including Valmieras stikla šķiedra (a fiberglass company) and Lode Brickworks (a brick factory).
Political Career
Andris Bērziņš returned to politics in 2005. He tried to become the Mayor of Riga, the capital city, but he was not successful. He was the leader of the Union of Greens and Farmers party list for that election. From 2006 to 2010, he was the president of the Latvian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He also chaired the board of Latvenergo, a large energy company, until 2009.
In 2010, Andris Bērziņš was elected as a deputy to the Saeima, Latvia's parliament. He was part of the Union of Greens and Farmers group.
Presidential Election in 2011
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On May 23, 2011, five deputies from the Union of Greens and Farmers suggested Andris Bērziņš as a candidate for president.
The presidential election happened on June 2, 2011. In the first round, Bērziņš received 50 votes, and the other candidate, Valdis Zatlers, received 43 votes. Since no one got enough votes to win, a second round was held later that same day. In the second round, Bērziņš received 53 votes, which meant he won the election. Andris Bērziņš officially became the President of Latvia on July 8, 2011.
Presidential Election in 2015
On April 10, 2015, President Bērziņš announced that he would not try to be elected for a second term as president.
On June 3, 2015, Raimonds Vējonis was elected as the next president. He took over from Bērziņš on July 8, 2015.
Riga Local Election in 2017
Bērziņš decided to run for a councilor position in the local election in Riga in June 2017.
Personal Life
Andris Bērziņš married Dace Seisuma a few days before he became president. This was his second marriage. He has five children. His uncle was a victim of the Soviet deportations from Latvia, which means he was forced to leave Latvia by the Soviet government and died in 1943.
Besides his native Latvian, he can speak Russian and English very well. He also speaks some German. He has said that talking about language can sometimes be used for political reasons. He has also encouraged Latvians to learn Russian along with English.
In September 2012, when a TV news crew was filming him and his son on the first day of school, he spoke to them in a way that was seen as threatening.
Awards and Recognition
From Latvia
Commander Grand Cross (1st Class) with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (2011)- Commander of Order of the Three Stars (2000)
Grand Cross (1st Class) of the Order of Viesturs (2011)
1st Class of the Cross of Recognition (2011)- Commemorative pin for people who took part in the 1991 barricades (1996)
From Other Countries
Norway: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Andris Bērziņš (presidente de Letonia) para niños
