Guntis Ulmanis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guntis Ulmanis
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Ulmanis in 2010
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| 5th President of Latvia | |
| In office 7 July 1993 – 7 July 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Ivars Godmanis Valdis Birkavs Māris Gailis Andris Šķēle Guntars Krasts Vilis Krištopāns |
| Preceded by | Kārlis Ulmanis |
| Succeeded by | Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 September 1939 Riga, Latvia |
| Political party | Latvian Farmers' Union |
| Spouse | Aina Ulmane |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Latvia |
| Signature |  |
Guntis Ulmanis (born on September 13, 1939) is a Latvian politician. He was the fifth President of Latvia, serving from 1993 to 1999.
Contents
About Guntis Ulmanis
Growing Up in Latvia
Guntis Ulmanis was born in Riga, Latvia, on September 13, 1939. His great-uncle, Kārlis Ulmanis, was also a very important Latvian politician before World War II. He even became president.
In 1941, after the Soviet Union took over Latvia, Guntis Ulmanis and his family were sent away. They were deported to a far-off place called Siberia in Russia.
In 1946, his family returned to Latvia. However, they were not allowed to live in Riga. So, they settled in a town called Ēdole in the Kuldīga area.
In 1949, the rest of the Ulmanis family was supposed to be deported again. But Guntis Ulmanis avoided this because his mother remarried. His last name was changed to Rumpītis. When he received his first passport in 1955, he chose to use his birth name, Ulmanis, again.
Later, his family moved to Jūrmala, where he went to school. After finishing school, he studied economics at the University of Latvia.
His Career in Latvia
After finishing his studies at the University of Latvia in 1963, Guntis Ulmanis joined the Soviet army for two years. In 1965, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He started working as an economist at a construction site. Later, he became an administrator for tram and trolleybus services in Riga.
He was then promoted to a higher position in the Riga city government. However, his family connection to former President Kārlis Ulmanis was discovered. Because of this, he was fired in 1971.
After that, he worked in lower positions within Riga's city services. For some time, he also taught about economics at the Riga Polytechnical Institute and the University of Latvia.
In 1989, during a time of big changes in Latvia called the Singing Revolution, Guntis Rumpītis left the Communist Party. He also went back to using his original last name, Ulmanis. In 1992, he became a Council Member of the National Bank of Latvia.
That same year, he joined the Latvian Farmers' Union. This was the same political party his great-uncle had belonged to. In 1993, Latvia held its first elections in 62 years. Guntis Ulmanis was elected as the 5th President of Latvia. He was the first president since Latvia became fully independent again in 1991.
Becoming President
As President, Guntis Ulmanis focused on building good relationships with other countries and international groups. A big success was signing a treaty with Russia. This treaty led to the Russian Armed Forces leaving Latvia.
During his time as president, Latvia joined the Council of Europe. It also applied to join the European Union. He stopped the use of the death penalty in Latvia, following the rules of the European Council.
In 1996, he was re-elected for a second term. He won in the first round of elections.
In 1998, President Ulmanis strongly supported changes to the Citizenship law. These changes would make it easier for people born after August 21, 1991, to become citizens. They would also remove limits on how many non-citizens could become citizens each year. Some politicians disagreed and asked for a public vote (referendum) on the law. President Ulmanis then actively worked to convince people to vote for the changes, and they were approved.
After His Presidency
Guntis Ulmanis's term as president ended in 1999. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga became the next president. After leaving office, he stepped away from politics for a while. He became involved in social work, starting the Guntis Ulmanis Fund. He also helped organize the 2006 IIHF World Championship in Riga. He led the council for the reconstruction of Riga Castle.
In 2010, Guntis Ulmanis returned to politics. He became the leader of a new political group called For a Good Latvia. This group won 8 seats in the October 2010 parliamentary election.
Ulmanis became a member of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament). In 2011, he announced that he would not run for another term. He stopped being a member of parliament in November 2011.
His Personal Life
Guntis Ulmanis married Aina Štelce in 1962. They have two children: Guntra (born 1963) and Alvils (born 1966). They also have three grandchildren. In his free time, Ulmanis enjoys reading history books and memoirs. He also likes playing tennis, basketball, and volleyball. He often spends his summers at his home in Smārde Parish.
He has written two books about his life: No tevis jau neprasa daudz (Not much is required from you yet) in 1995, and Mans prezidenta laiks (My time as President) in 1999.
He is a member of an international group that advises the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
On September 21, 2015, he became the CEO of the hockey club Dinamo Riga.
Awards and Recognition
Latvian Awards
Latvia:
Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars
Awards from Other Countries
Denmark:
Knight of the Order of the Elephant (March 18, 1997)
Estonia:
Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (October 23, 1996)
Germany:
Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Iceland:
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (June 8, 1998)
Norway:
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
Poland:
See also
In Spanish: Guntis Ulmanis para niños
