Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
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Vike-Freiberga in 2022
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| 6th President of Latvia | |
| In office 8 July 1999 – 8 July 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Vilis Krištopans Andris Šķēle Andris Bērziņš Einars Repše Indulis Emsis Aigars Kalvītis |
| Preceded by | Guntis Ulmanis |
| Succeeded by | Valdis Zatlers |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Vaira Vīķe
1 December 1937 Riga, Latvia |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Imants Freibergs |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto McGill University |
| Signature |  |
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (born 1 December 1937) is a Latvian politician. She served as the sixth President of Latvia from 1999 to 2007. She was the first and only woman to hold this important job in Latvia. She was also the most recent president to be re-elected for a second term.
Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga is a professor and a scholar who has written many books and articles. As President of Latvia, she helped her country join the European Union and NATO. She is still active in world politics. She works to support freedom, fairness, and for Europe to remember all of its history. She is also known for her studies of language, symbols, and Latvian folk songs.
After her time as president, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga became a co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center. She also led the Club of Madrid, which is a group of former world leaders. She is a member of the International Programme Board of the Prague European Summit.
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Early Life and Education
Vaira Vīķe was born in Riga, Latvia. In 1944, when Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union, her family had to leave their home. They moved to Nazi Germany. There, she went to a Latvian primary school in a camp for people who had lost their homes. Her baby sister sadly died there.
In 1949, her family moved to Casablanca in French Morocco. Vaira went to a French primary school and learned the French language. She then attended a girls' college in Casablanca. In 1954, her family moved again, this time to Toronto, Canada. She finished high school there.
Vaira Vīķe studied psychology at the University of Toronto. She earned her first degree in 1958 and a master's degree in 1960. She could speak English, French, Latvian, Spanish, and German very well. She worked as a translator and a Spanish teacher. In 1960, she became a psychologist at a hospital. In 1961, she continued her studies at McGill University in Montreal. She earned her PhD in psychology in 1965. Her research was about how children learn.
Professional Career
From 1965 to 1998, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga was a professor at the University of Montreal. She taught about how medicines affect the mind, how language works, and scientific methods. Her research looked at memory and language. She also studied Latvian folksongs, which are traditional oral poems. During this time, she wrote many books and articles. She also gave hundreds of speeches in different languages.
Dr. Vīķe-Freiberga held important roles in science groups in Canada and around the world. She received many awards for her work in social sciences. In 1998, she retired from the University of Montreal. She then returned to Latvia after 54 years away. The Prime Minister of Latvia made her the Director of the new Latvian Institute.
Leading Latvia as President
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga became President of Latvia in 1999. She was not a candidate at first, but the Latvian Parliament (called the Saeima) chose her. She was elected President on June 20 and started her job on July 8. People in Latvia really liked her. Her approval ratings were very high, between 70% and 85%. In 2003, she was re-elected for a second four-year term.
As President, she used her powers to help Latvia. She played a big part in Latvia joining NATO and the European Union. She was invited to speak at many international events, like a joint meeting of the United States Congress in 2006. She also spoke out about social issues, values, European history, and democracy. During her presidency, she often visited towns and villages to meet people. She received thousands of letters from Latvians every year.
In 2005, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked Vīķe-Freiberga to join a team of world leaders. They worked to improve the United Nations. In 2006, the three Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) officially suggested her as a candidate for United Nations Secretary-General.
After the Presidency
Since her presidency ended in July 2007, Dr. Vīķe-Freiberga has continued to speak at many international events. She helped start and used to lead the Club of Madrid, a group of former heads of state. She is also a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. In 2007, she was chosen as Vice-president of a group looking at the future of the European Union. In 2008, she joined the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation. She also taught as a Senior Fellow at Harvard University.
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga is a member of several important groups:
- The Global Leadership Foundation: This group helps leaders support democracy and solve problems.
- The Fondation Chirac: This foundation works to promote world peace. She helps choose the winner of their Prize for Conflict Prevention.
- The Leadership Council for Concordia: This group helps public and private organizations work together for a better future.
- The advisory board of the Prague European Summit.
Medals and Honors
Vīķe-Freiberga has received many awards and honors. These include the Golden Plate Award in 2000 and the Hannah Arendt Prize in 2005 for her political ideas. She also received the Emperor Otto Prize in 2007 for helping define European identity. She has been given 37 national awards from different countries and 16 honorary doctorates from universities. She is a member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.
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Awards and Recognition
- Global Women's Leadership Award (2007)
- The Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom (2011)
- "THE LIFETIME OF LEADERSHIP AWARD” by the Vital Voices Global Partnership and Council of Women World Leaders
Four books have been written about President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga. There is also a full-length movie about her life called The Threefold Sun, made in 2008.
Family and Personal Life
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga is married to Imants Freibergs. He used to be a computer science professor. They met at the Latvian Students Club in Toronto. They have two children, Kārlis and Indra. Dr. Vīķe-Freiberga and Dr. I. Freibergs have a company called “VVF Consulting.” They offer advice to different organizations.
See also
- List of presidents of Latvia
