Sandra Kalniete facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sandra Kalniete
Kalniete in 2024
Member of the European Parliament for Latvia
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 July 2009
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries
In office 1 May 2004 – 11 November 2004
President	Romano Prodi
Preceded by	Franz Fischler
Succeeded by	Mariann Fischer Boel (Agriculture and Rural Development) Joe Borg (Fisherly and Maritime Affairs)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 7 November 2002 – 9 March 2004
Prime Minister	Einars Repše
Preceded by	Indulis Bērziņš
Succeeded by	Rihards Pīks
Personal details
Born	(1952-12-22) 22 December 1952 (age 72) Togur [ru], Tomsk Oblast, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Political party	Popular Front (Before 1993) New Era Party (2002–2008) Civic Union (2008–2011) Unity (2011–present)
Alma mater	Art Academy of Latvia University of Leeds University of Geneva
Website	www.kalniete.lv

Sandra Kalniete (born December 22, 1952) is a well-known Latvian politician, writer, and diplomat. She played a big part in Latvia's movement to become independent.

She was the Foreign Minister of Latvia from 2002 to 2004. After that, she became a European Commissioner in 2004, helping with agriculture and fishing for the whole of Europe. Since 2009, she has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the European People's Party.

Currently, she works on important groups in the European Parliament. She is part of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, which deals with how Europe works with other countries. She also helps with the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, which looks after farming and countryside issues.

Sandra Kalniete is also a member of the group that works with countries in Southeast Asia, like those in ASEAN. She also helps with groups that connect the EU with Ukraine and other countries.

After being re-elected in 2014, she became a Vice-Chair for the Group of the European People's Party. This means she helps lead one of the biggest political groups in the European Parliament. She also leads the Reconciliation of European Histories Group. This group works to understand Europe's past, especially about difficult times like totalitarian rule.

Before becoming an MEP, Sandra Kalniete was an Ambassador for Latvia. She represented her country at the United Nations (1993–1997), in France (1997–2000), and at UNESCO (2000–2002). Besides her native Latvian, she speaks English, French, and Russian.

Early Life and Education

Sandra Kalniete was born in a place called Togur, in Siberia, Russia. Her family was forced to move there from Latvia by the Soviet government. This happened during a time when the Soviet Union controlled Latvia. Her mother and grandparents were moved in 1941, and her father and grandmother in 1949.

Sandra was five years old when her family was finally allowed to return to Latvia in 1957.

She studied art at the Latvian Academy of Art from 1977 to 1981. She became an art historian and wrote a book called Latvian Textile Art in 1989.

Joining Politics

Sandra Kalniete started her political journey in 1988. This was during Latvia's fight to become independent from the Soviet Union. She was a leader and one of the people who started the Latvian Popular Front. This was a big group that worked for Latvia's independence.

She continued her education, studying at the University of Leeds in 1992 and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva in 1995. She also earned a Master of Arts degree from the Art Academy of Latvia in 1996.

After Latvia became independent, Sandra Kalniete worked for the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She served as Latvia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva from 1993 to 1997. Then, she was the ambassador to France from 1997 to 2000. From 2000 to 2002, she was Latvia's ambassador to UNESCO, an organization that promotes education, science, and culture.

Political Career Highlights

In November 2002, Sandra Kalniete became the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Latvia. She held this important role until 2004.

In 2004, she was chosen to be the first ever Latvian European Commissioner. This meant she was part of a group of leaders who manage different areas for the whole European Union. Her job was to oversee agriculture and fisheries.

Later, in 2006, Sandra Kalniete joined the New Era Party. She was elected to the Latvian parliament in October 2006. She was even considered as a candidate for Latvian president in 2007.

From 2006 to 2007, she was part of a group called the Amato Group. This group worked on rewriting an important document for the European Union, which later became known as the Treaty of Lisbon. This treaty helps set the rules for how the EU works.

In 2008, she left the New Era Party and joined a new party called Civic Union, becoming its leader.

She was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2009 and again in 2014. She was also mentioned as a possible candidate for the President of Latvia in 2015 and 2023. She was re-elected as an MEP in 2019 and again in 2024.

Human Rights Work

Sandra Kalniete is very active in promoting human rights. She works to make sure people remember and learn from past crimes against humanity, especially those committed by totalitarian governments.

She leads the Reconciliation of European Histories Group in the European Parliament. This group brings together politicians from different parties. Their goal is to help European countries understand and deal with their past, especially the times when totalitarian regimes were in power.

In 2004, she spoke about how both Nazi and Communist regimes caused great harm. She believes it's important to remember these events to prevent them from happening again.

Books and Translations

Sandra Kalniete wrote a book called Ar balles kurpēm Sibīrijas sniegos. The title means With Dance Shoes in Siberian Snows. This book tells the story of her family's experiences during the deportations to Siberia.

This book has been translated into many languages, including:

• Albanian
• French
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Czech
• Swedish
• English
• Russian
• Finnish
• Dutch
• Arabic
• Spanish
• Tamil

Awards and Recognition

Sandra Kalniete has received many awards for her work and contributions:

• 1995 – Commander of the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia)
• 2000 – Cabinet of Ministers Award (Latvia)
• 2001 – Commander of the Legion of Honor (France)
• 2002 – Commander of the Ordre des Palmes académiques (France)
• 2004 – Commander's Grand Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (Lithuania)
• 2005 – Commander of the Great Cross of the Cross of Recognition (Latvia)
• 2009 – Order "Mérite Européen" in Gold (Luxembourg), for helping to make Europe stronger.
• 2009 – Medal of the Baltic Assembly, for her work in uniting the Baltic Nations.
• 2012 – Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 2nd degree (Estonia)
• 2018 – Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom
• 2020 – Order of Princess Olga, 1st Class (Ukraine)

See also

In Spanish: Sandra Kalniete para niños