Raimonds Vējonis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raimonds Vējonis
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Vējonis in 2019
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| President of the Latvian Basketball Association | |
| Assumed office 21 January 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Valdis Voins |
| 9th President of Latvia | |
| In office 8 July 2015 – 8 July 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Laimdota Straujuma Māris Kučinskis Krišjānis Kariņš |
| Preceded by | Andris Bērziņš |
| Succeeded by | Egils Levits |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 22 January 2014 – 7 July 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Valdis Dombrovskis Laimdota Straujuma |
| Preceded by | Artis Pabriks |
| Succeeded by | Raimonds Bergmanis |
| Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development | |
| In office 7 November 2002 – 25 October 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Einars Repše Indulis Emsis Aigars Kalvītis Ivars Godmanis Valdis Dombrovskis |
| Preceded by | Vladimirs Makarovs |
| Succeeded by | Edmunds Sprūdžs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 June 1966 Nikonovo, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Political party | Green Party |
| Spouse |
Iveta Vējone
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Latvia |
Raimonds Vējonis (born 15 June 1966) is a well-known Latvian politician. He served as the 9th President of Latvia from 2015 to 2019. Since 2020, he has been the president of the Latvian Basketball Association.
He is a member of the Latvian Green Party. This party is part of a larger group called the Union of Greens and Farmers. Before becoming president, he held several important government roles. He was the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and also the Minister of Defence of Latvia.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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Raimonds Vējonis was born on 15 June 1966. His birthplace was Nikonovo in Pskov Oblast, which is now part of Russia. His father was Latvian and his mother was Russian.
He grew up in a place called Sarkaņi in Latvia. He went to school in the nearby town of Madona. Raimonds Vējonis became very interested in protecting the environment. This was partly because his family had experienced environmental problems.
He studied at the University of Latvia. He earned a degree in biology in 1989 and a master's degree in 1995. While he was studying, he worked as a biology teacher in Madona. From 1989 to 1996, he was the deputy director of the Madona Regional Environmental board. He also served on the Madona city council. Later, he became the director of the Greater Riga Regional Environmental board.
Political Career Highlights
Raimonds Vējonis began his national political career in 2002. He became the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. He focused on protecting nature and helping different regions grow.
Becoming President of Latvia
On 3 June 2015, Raimonds Vējonis was chosen as the President of Latvia. The members of the Saeima (Latvia's parliament) voted for him. He received 55 out of 100 votes.
In his speech after winning, he promised to keep Latvia safe. He also promised to continue protecting the environment. He made history by becoming the first head of state in the European Union to be a member of a green party.
Life After Presidency
After his term as president ended in 2019, Raimonds Vējonis took on a new role. In January 2020, he was elected as the president of the Latvian Basketball Association. He will serve in this position for four years.
Personal Life
Raimonds Vējonis married Iveta Vējone in 1986. She is a teacher and was the First Lady of Latvia. They have two sons named Ivo and Nauris.
Besides Latvian, Raimonds Vējonis speaks Russian very well. He also has good English skills.
Health and Recovery
In early 2016, Raimonds Vējonis faced some health challenges. He was hospitalized in January. After receiving medical care, he had an important heart surgery. Doctors replaced a heart valve that was affected by an infection.
He spent more than two months recovering. He left the hospital in late February to continue his recovery with physical therapy. He slowly returned to his duties and was back to full work by late March.
Honours and Awards
Raimonds Vējonis has received many honours both from Latvia and other countries. These awards recognize his service and contributions.
Latvian Honours
- (Former Grand Master) and Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (2015)
- (Former Grand Master) and Grand Cross of the Order of Viesturs
- Former Grand Master of the Cross of Recognition
International Honours
Estonia: Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2019)
Germany: Grand Cross special class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2019)
Iceland: Grand cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon (2018)
Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2018)
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (2018)
Ukraine: The First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Raimonds Vējonis para niños
