Valdis Zatlers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valdis Zatlers
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Zatlers in 2011
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| 7th President of Latvia | |
| In office 8 July 2007 – 8 July 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Aigars Kalvītis Ivars Godmanis Valdis Dombrovskis |
| Preceded by | Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga |
| Succeeded by | Andris Bērziņš |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 March 1955 Riga, Latvia (Under Soviet occupation) |
| Political party | Independent (Before 2011) Reform Party (2011–2015) |
| Spouse | Lilita Zatlere |
| Children | Gustavs Felicita Kārlis |
| Alma mater | Riga Stradiņš University |
| Signature |  |
Valdis Zatlers (born 22 March 1955) is a Latvian politician. He was the seventh president of Latvia from 2007 to 2011.
He won the presidential election on 31 May 2007. He became President of Latvia on 8 July 2007. He left office on 7 July 2011 after not being re-elected for a second term.
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Medical Career
Valdis Zatlers first worked as a doctor. He is an orthopedic surgeon. This means he is a doctor who treats problems with bones and muscles.
He finished his studies at the Institute of Medicine in Riga in 1979. After that, he worked at Riga Hospital No. 2. In 1985, he became the head of its traumatology unit. Traumatology is the study and treatment of injuries.
In 1986, he went to Ukraine to help with medical support. This was after the Chernobyl disaster. He helped with the cleanup operations there.
From 1994, he was the director of the Latvian Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital. He became the head of its board in 1998. He left these jobs on 5 July 2007.
In 2007, he received a special award called the Order of the Three Stars. This award was for his work in patient care. It also recognized his efforts to improve orthopedics in Latvia.
Political Career
Valdis Zatlers started his political journey early. He was a board member of the Popular Front of Latvia from 1988 to 1989.
On 22 May 2007, the ruling parties in the Latvian parliament, called the Saeima, chose Zatlers as their candidate for president. He was not a member of any political party at that time.
On 2 June 2011, another politician, Andris Bērziņš, won the presidential election. He defeated Valdis Zatlers, even though many expected Zatlers to win. After his presidency, Zatlers started his own political group. He founded the Reform Party in July 2011.
Presidency
During his time as president, Valdis Zatlers made an important decision. On 28 May 2011, he spoke on TV. He called for big changes to stop the influence of powerful, wealthy people, sometimes called "oligarchs." He said these people had too much power in politics.
He believed that lawmakers were not doing enough to fight corruption. So, he announced he would use his special powers as president. He decided to ask the public to vote in a referendum. This vote would decide if the current parliament should be dissolved.
The main reason for this decision was that parliament refused to allow a search. This search was at the home of Ainārs Šlesers, who was a member of parliament and a former minister. Valdis Zatlers was the first President of Latvia to use these special presidential powers.
In the referendum, a large number of people supported Zatlers' decision. About 94% of voters agreed. Because of this vote, the Saeima (parliament) was dismissed. Then, new parliamentary elections were organized.
Relations with Russia
President Zatlers worked to improve Latvia–Russia relations. He attended the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade on 9 May. This parade celebrates the end of World War II in Europe.
In December 2010, Zatlers made his first official visit to Moscow. He had talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He also met with other important figures.
During a business meeting in St. Petersburg, he spoke about making travel easier. He supported allowing people to travel between the European Union and Russia without needing a visa.
Personal Life
Valdis Zatlers is married to Lilita Zatlere. They have three children together. Besides his native Latvian, he can also speak English and Russian fluently.
Honours and Awards
Valdis Zatlers has received many awards for his work.
National Awards
Commander Grand Cross (1st Class) with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (2008)
Grand Cross (1st Class) of the Order of Viesturs (2008)
Foreign Awards
He has also received awards from other countries, including:
Azerbaijan: Recipient of the Heydar Aliyev Order (2009)
Croatia: Recipient of the Grand Order of King Tomislav (2008)
Estonia: Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2009)
Finland: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose (2010)
Georgia: Recipient of the St. George's Order of Victory (2009)
Lithuania: Grand Cross with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great (2011)
Spain: Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2009)
Ukraine: Member of the Order of Liberty (2011) and First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (2008)
Honorary Doctorates
He has also received special honorary degrees from universities:
Yerevan State University: Honorary doctorate (2009)
Latvia Riga Stradiņš University: Honorary doctorate (2010)
See also
In Spanish: Valdis Zatlers para niños
