Gitanas Nausėda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gitanas Nausėda
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Nausėda in 2025
|
|
| 9th President of Lithuania | |
| Assumed office 12 July 2019 |
|
| Prime Minister | Saulius Skvernelis Ingrida Šimonytė Gintautas Paluckas |
| Preceded by | Dalia Grybauskaitė |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 May 1964 Klaipėda, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1988–1991) |
| Spouse |
Diana Nausėdienė
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Presidential Palace, Vilnius |
| Education | Vilnius University |
| Signature |  |
Gitanas Nausėda (born 19 May 1964) is a Lithuanian politician, economist, and banker. He is the ninth and current president of Lithuania, serving since 2019. Before becoming president, he worked with money and the economy for many years.
Born in the city of Klaipėda, Nausėda studied economics at Vilnius University. He later worked for the Bank of Lithuania and was the chief economist for SEB bankas, a major bank.
In 2019, Nausėda decided to run for president as an independent candidate, meaning he was not part of a major political party. He won the election by a large margin. As president, he has dealt with important events like protests in neighboring Belarus and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 26 May 2024, he was re-elected for a second term.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Gitanas Nausėda was born in the port city of Klaipėda, which is on the coast of the Baltic Sea. As a child, he went to the Klaipėda 5th Secondary School. He also attended a music school and sang in a boys' choir called "Gintarėlis."
After finishing high school, he moved to Vilnius to study economics at Vilnius University from 1982 to 1987. He continued his studies there until 1989.
From 1990 to 1992, he studied in Germany at the University of Mannheim. In 1993, he earned his PhD, which is the highest university degree, for his research on economic policy.
Career in Economics and Banking
After finishing his education, Nausėda began his career. From 1992 to 1993, he worked at a research center for economics. He then worked for the Lithuanian Competition Council, which makes sure businesses compete fairly.
From 1994 to 2000, he had an important job at the Bank of Lithuania, the country's central bank. He was the director of the Monetary Policy Department, which helps manage the country's money.
Later, he became a chief economist and advisor at AB Vilniaus Bankas. From 2008 to 2018, he worked as a top economist and advisor for the president of SEB bankas, another large bank in Lithuania.
Becoming President of Lithuania
.jpg)
On 17 September 2018, Gitanas Nausėda announced he would run for president in the 2019 Lithuanian presidential election. In the final round of voting, he won against another candidate, Ingrida Šimonytė, with 66 percent of the vote.
He officially became president on 12 July 2019. Soon after taking office, polls showed that he was the most trusted politician in Lithuania.
Foreign Policy
As president, Nausėda is in charge of Lithuania's relationships with other countries. This is called foreign policy. He has worked to build strong ties with many world leaders.
Belarus
President Nausėda has been a strong voice during the protests in neighboring Belarus. After the 2020 election there, which many countries said was unfair, the opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya came to Lithuania for safety. Nausėda helped Lithuania take a leading role in the European Union's response. He also allowed people from Belarus to enter Lithuania for humanitarian reasons.
Poland
Nausėda has worked to have a good relationship with Poland. His first foreign trip as president was to Warsaw to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda. The two leaders have often highlighted the importance of unity between Central European countries.
Russia
.jpg)
President Nausėda has taken a firm stance on Russia. He has supported keeping sanctions (penalties) against Russia. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Nausėda strongly condemned the attack and called for tough sanctions on Russia. He also accused China of supporting Russia in the war.
Ukraine
Nausėda has been a strong supporter of Ukraine. A day before the 2022 invasion, he visited Kyiv with the Polish president to show support for President Volodymyr Zelensky. He promised that Lithuania would help Ukraine in every way possible. He has called for military, economic, and humanitarian aid for the country.
Other Countries
Nausėda has also managed relationships with other nations. He has discussed the name of Taiwan's office in Lithuania, which caused issues with China. He has also spoken about international support for both Israel and Ukraine, asking for fairness in how countries are helped.
Working with the Government
In Lithuania, the president works with the government, which is led by the prime minister. During his time in office, Nausėda has worked with governments led by different political parties.
Sometimes, the president and the government have disagreements. Nausėda has had a difficult relationship with the government led by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė. After the 2024 elections, he said he hoped to have a more productive relationship with the new government.
Political Views
Gitanas Nausėda has described himself as a "compassionate conservative." This means he holds some traditional values but also cares deeply about helping people. He has also said his views are similar to social democrats, who focus on social fairness and support for citizens.
During his 2019 campaign, he promised to create a "welfare state." This is a system where the government works to protect the health and well-being of its citizens. He supports ideas like a new tax on expensive property and allowing Lithuanians to have more than one citizenship.
Personal Life
Gitanas Nausėda's father, Antanas, was an engineer, and his mother, Stasė, was a physics and math teacher. He has one sister, Vilija, who is an economist.
In 1990, he married Diana Nausėdienė. They have two daughters. Besides his native Lithuanian language, Nausėda can speak German, English, and Russian. He has a hobby of collecting antique books, which he started in 1997.
Honours and Awards
Over the years, Gitanas Nausėda has received several awards for his work.
National Honours
Lithuania: Grand Master and Grand Cross with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great (2019)
Foreign Honours
Ukraine: Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class (2021)
Romania: Order of the Star of Romania (2022)
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (2022)
Poland: Order of the White Eagle (2023)
Images for kids
-
President Nausėda meeting with Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki in July 2019.
-
Nausėda meets with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, in October 2019.
-
Nausėda meets with the Prime Minister of Finland, Antti Rinne, in November 2019.
-
Nausėda meets with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss, in September 2022.
-
Nausėda with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine, 28 July 2022.
-
Nausėda with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in Davos, Switzerland in January 2023.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Gitanas Nausėda para niños
