Artūras Zuokas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Artūras Zuokas
|
|
|---|---|
.JPG) |
|
| Mayor of Vilnius | |
| In office 19 April 2011 – 20 April 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Raimundas Alekna |
| Succeeded by | Remigijus Šimašius |
| In office 15 November 2000 – 8 April 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Gediminas Paviržis |
| Succeeded by | Juozas Imbrasas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 February 1968 Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Freedom and Justice |
| Children | 3 |
Artūras Zuokas (born 21 February 1968) is a Lithuanian journalist, businessman, and politician. He served as the mayor of Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. He was mayor from 2000 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2015. He has also been a member of Lithuania's parliament, called the Seimas, at different times. He has led several political parties, and since 2024, he has been the chairman of the Freedom and Justice party.
Artūras Zuokas is known for his unique and sometimes surprising public actions. These actions have made him a very recognizable figure in Lithuanian politics.
Contents
About Artūras Zuokas
His Early Life
Artūras Zuokas was born in Kaunas on 21 February 1968. When he was young, his family moved to Jonava. There, he finished his first secondary school.
After returning to Lithuania, he became involved in youth politics. He supported Lithuania's independence movement. In 1989, he studied journalism at Vilnius University. Later, he worked as a reporter.
In 1992, Zuokas started his own news agency. He also worked in real estate and advertising. He helped bring the Benetton Group to Lithuania. He also helped open the first McDonald's restaurant in the country. He started getting involved in politics in 1997.
His Political Journey
Zuokas supported Valdas Adamkus in the 1997–98 presidential election. In 1999, he joined the Liberal Union of Lithuania.
In 2000, he was elected Mayor of Vilnius. He was 32 years old, making him the youngest mayor in Vilnius history. He served as mayor for two terms until 2007. In 2011, he was elected mayor for a third time. He stayed in this role until 2015. Since then, he has run in every mayoral election in Vilnius.
In 2003, several liberal parties joined together. Zuokas became the first leader of the new Liberal and Centre Union. He led the party to success in the 2004 parliamentary election. They won 18 seats. However, he chose to remain Mayor of Vilnius instead of taking his seat in parliament. He was the party's leader until 2009.
In 2011, Zuokas left the Liberal and Centre Union. He started a new party called YES - Homeland Revival and Perspective. He said this party would focus on "responsible liberalism." This new party did not win any seats in the 2012 election. In 2014, his party joined back with the Liberal and Centre Union. They formed the Lithuanian Freedom Union, and Zuokas became its chairman.
Zuokas ran for Mayor of Vilnius again in 2015, but he did not win. In 2019, he ran against Mayor Remigijus Šimašius but lost in the second round. In 2023, he again reached the second round of the Vilnius mayoral election. He ran against Valdas Benkunskas but was defeated.
In 2020, the Freedom Union joined with other parties to create Freedom and Justice. On 3 February 2024, Zuokas was elected as the new chairman of this party.
His Unique Actions
The Republic of Užupis
Zuokas lives in Užupis, a special neighborhood in Vilnius. It is known for its artistic and free-spirited vibe. On 1 April 1997, this district declared itself the Republic of Užupis. It even has its own flag, constitution, and anthem. It also has a self-declared president.
Zuokas was one of the people who helped start this "independence" idea. He chose April 1st as its special day. He also helped design its national symbol.
The Anti-Parking Stunt
In August 2011, Zuokas wanted to show how serious illegal parking was. Especially when cars parked in bike lanes. So, he staged a stunt where an illegally parked car was crushed by a BTR-60 armored vehicle. This happened on a bike lane in Vilnius.
This stunt was done with a Swedish TV show. It became one of Zuokas' most famous actions. It brought him attention from outside Lithuania. Later that year, he even won an Ig Nobel Prize for it. This award is given for funny and unusual scientific achievements.
In 2023, Zuokas said he might sue Netflix. This was after a Netflix ad showed Arnold Schwarzenegger running over a car with a tank. Zuokas claimed the idea was similar to his own stunt.
Idea to Buy a Greek Island
In 2011, Zuokas suggested buying the island of Oxeia from Greece. He wanted to turn it into a resort and investment area. He even proposed naming the island Dausuva. This name was inspired by an old idea of a "reserve Lithuania." However, this idea was not developed further. In 2012, Qatar Holdings bought the island instead.
Collecting Celebrity DNA
In 2023, Zuokas shared something very unusual. He said he had been collecting DNA samples from famous people for twenty years. His collection includes samples from people like President Valdas Adamkus, John Malkovich, and the Dalai Lama. He joked that his collection could be used to clone these people if there was a global disaster.
Awards and Honors
Artūras Zuokas has received many awards from Lithuania and other countries.
- In 2001, he was honored by President Jacques Chirac of France. He received the National Order of Merit.
- He was also honored by President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia. This was for helping improve relations between the two countries.
- He was chosen twice as vice-president of the Organization of World Heritage Cities.
- In 2002, the Junior Chamber International named him one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the World." This was for his achievements in administration.
- The U.S. Baltic Foundation honored him in 2003. The Balzekas Museum in Chicago, Illinois, named him "Man of the Year."
- He has also received local awards, like "Friend of Architects."
- He has won the popular Vilnius "Iron Wolf" award three times.
- In 2003, Zuokas received an honorary degree from the Gediminas Technical University.
See Also
- List of mayors of Vilnius
Images for kids
-
Artūras Zuokas at Initio Semestri in Vilnius University in 2011
