Valdis Zatlers(/ˈvældɪsˈzætlərz/;born 22 March 1955) is aLatvianpolitician and former physician who served as the seventhpresident of Latviafrom 2007 to 2011. He won theLatvian presidential electionof 31 May 2007.[1]He becamePresident of Latviaon 8 July 2007[2]and left office on 7 July 2011 after failing to win reelection for a second term.
Valdis Zatlers | |
|---|---|
 Zatlers in 2011 | |
| 7thPresident of Latvia | |
| In office 8 July 2007 – 8 July 2011 | |
| 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 |  |
Medical career
editValdis Zatlers is anorthopedic surgeon,who graduated from theInstitute of MedicineinRigain 1979. After his studies he worked in Riga Hospital No. 2 and became chief of itstraumatologyunit in 1985. In 1986, between May and June, he was dispatched to Ukraine as a medical service officer to support the cleanup operations following theChernobyl disaster.
He was the director of the Latvian Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital from 1994 and chief of its board from 1998. He left these offices on 5 July 2007.[3] On 27 April 2007, he received theOrder of the Three Stars(Trīs Zvaigžņu Ordenis) of the 4th rank for his contributions in care for health of the patients and promotion of orthopedics in Latvia.[4]
Political career
edit
Valdis Zatlers was a board member of thePopular Front of Latviain 1988–1989.[5] On 22 May 2007, the ruling parliamentary coalition of the LatvianSaeimaofficially nominated Zatlers as its presidential candidate.[6]Zatlers himself was not a member of any political party, but had signed the manifesto of thePeople's Partywhen the party was founded in 1998. On 2 June 2011 an MP from the Greens and Farmers' Union,Andris Bērziņš,defeated the incumbent, Valdis Zatlers, in presidential elections despite Zatlers having previously been expected to win the vote.[7]He founded theReform Partyin July 2011.[8]
Presidency
editIn his TV speech, on 28 May 2011, President Zatlers called for radical reforms to curb the corrupting influence of oligarchs. He accused lawmakers of being soft on corruption and announced that he would use hisconstitutional powersto initiate areferendum on the dissolutionof the currentSaeima.The formal cause of this decision was the parliament's refusal to sanction a search at the home ofAinārs Šlesers,aSaeimamember and former minister.[9]Zatlers was the firstPresident of Latviato use these reserve presidential powers.[10]In the referendum, 94% of the voters had supported Zatlers' decision, and Under the relevant sections of theConstitution of Latviathe Saeima was dismissed andnew parliament elections organized.
Relations with Russia
edit
He attended the2010 Moscow Victory Day ParadeonRed Squareon 9 May, making good on his acceptance of his invitation to attend the 65th VE Day celebrations in Russia that he received in February.[citation needed]In December 2010, Zatlers made his first officialstate visittoMoscow.The four-day official visit included talks with Russian PresidentDmitry Medvedev,as well as Prime MinisterVladimir Putin,[11]MayorYuri Luzhkovand thePatriarch Kirillof theRussian Orthodox Church.[12]While speaking at the Latvia-Russia Business Forum inSt. Petersburgon 20 December, he spoke in favor of the introduction of a visa free regime between the EU and Russia. On the final day of the forum, he laid flowers at the Piskaryov Memorial Cemetery.[13]
Controversy
editBefore his election he confessed that, as a doctor, he had accepted private donations from his patients.Transparency Internationalhas questioned the legality of this practice.[14]Zatlers' supporters point out that donations of this form are accepted by many Latvian doctors. TheCorruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB)characterized Zatlers' behaviour as improper and has said that it would not finalize its investigation of the matter for several months.[15]In July 2008, KNAB ruled that Zatlers had not violated the law by accepting these donations.[16]
Politicians criticized Zatlers for not paying taxes on these gifts. The State Revenue Service, which had previously requested him to pay taxes on the gifts, unable to fine him for tax evasion, fined Zatlers 250Latsfor missing data in officials declaration.[17][18]
In 2003, Zatlers was the subject of an investigation by KNAB, Latvia's anti-corruption office. The investigation was started based on a request byĀris Auders,a former subordinate of Zatlers who had become the Minister of Healthcare. Auders had accused Zatlers of buying low-quality spinal implants from companies run by Zatlers' wife and the deputy director of Zatlers' hospital. The investigation cleared Zatlers of all charges.[19]
Personal life
editValdis Zatlers is married toLilita Zatlereand has three children. In addition to his nativeLatvian,he is fluent in English and Russian.
Honours and awards
editNational
edit
Commander Grand Cross (1st Class) with Chain of theOrder of the Three Stars(2008)
Grand Cross (1st Class) of theOrder of Viesturs(2008)
Foreign
edit
Azerbaijan:Recipient of theHeydar Aliyev Order(10 August 2009)[20]
Croatia:Recipient of theGrand Order of King Tomislav(2 September 2008)[21]
Estonia:Collar of theOrder of the Cross of Terra Mariana(2 April 2009)[22]
Finland:Grand Cross with Collar of theOrder of the White Rose(2010)[23]
Georgia:Recipient of theSt. George's Order of Victory(9 December 2009)[24]
Kazakhstan:Recipient of theOrder of Friendship(2008)[25]
Lithuania:Grand Cross with Golden Chain of theOrder of Vytautas the Great(7 February 2011)[26]
Romania:Collar of theOrder of the Star of Romania(2011)
Spain:Collar of theOrder of Isabella the Catholic(30 April 2009)[27]
Ukraine:
- Member of theOrder of Liberty(26 April 2011)[28]
- First Class of theOrder of Prince Yaroslav the Wise(25 June 2008)[29]
Honorary doctorates
edit
Yerevan State University:Honorary doctorate (2009)
PolandJohn Paul II Catholic University of Lublin:
LatviaRiga Stradiņš University:Honorary doctorate (2010)
References
edit- ^"Latvia elects doctor as president".BBC News. 31 May 2007.Retrieved1 June2007.
- ^"Unknown surgeon elected president".The Baltic Times.6 June 2007.Retrieved12 June2007.
- ^"Valdis Zatlers' Curriculum vitae".Chancery of the President of Latvia. Archived fromthe originalon 12 October 2007.Retrieved15 October2007.
- ^"Zatleram piešķirs Triju Zvaigžņu ordeni, Viestura ordeni un Atzinības krustu"(in Latvian). apollo.lv. 30 April 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 8 March 2012.Retrieved30 April2008.
- ^"Profile: Valdis Zatlers – surgeon, political newcomer, president".eux.tv.31 May 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2007.Retrieved14 June2007.
- ^"Koalīcijas partijas izvirza Zatleru Valsts prezidenta amatam".apollo.lv(in Latvian). 22 May 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved1 June2007.
- ^"Andris Berzins elected new president in Latvia".BBC News.2 June 2011.Retrieved3 June2011.
- ^"Latvian political parties undergo major upheaval".Baltictimes.com. 12 July 2011.Retrieved18 September2011.
- ^"Zatlers nolemj rosināt Saeimas atlaišanu"[Zatlers decides to initiate thedissolution of the Saeima].Delfi(in Latvian). 28 May 2011.Retrieved28 May2011.
- ^"Zatlers ir Latvijas vēsturē pirmais Saeimas atlaišanas ierosinātājs"[Zatlers is the first initiator of the Saeima dissolution in Latvian history].Delfi(in Latvian). 28 May 2011.Retrieved28 May2011.
- ^"Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Latvian President Valdis Zatlers".Retrieved25 August2023.
- ^"First visit".Deutsche Welle.
- ^"Accolades for Zatlers in Moscow".
- ^"TI Latvia Asks KNAB, VID To Explain Whether Valdis Zatlers Could be Charged With Criminal Offences for Accepting Payments, Other Benefits From Patients".delna.lv.Archived fromthe originalon 13 December 2007.Retrieved1 June2007.
- ^"Kalvītis: ārstu 'pateicības' ir valdības, nevis Zatlera problēma".delfi.lv(in Latvian). 30 May 2007.Retrieved2 June2007.
- ^"KNAB nesodīs Zatleru par ņemtajām pateicībām, taču ierosina jaunu pārbaudi"(in Latvian). 22 July 2008.Retrieved23 July2008.[dead link]
- ^"VID: Zatleram jāsamaksā nodokļi par 'aplokšņu' atlīdzību".delfi.lv(in Latvian). 31 May 2007.Retrieved2 June2007.
- ^"Zatlers samaksājis 250 latu sodu par neprecizitātēm ienākumu deklarācijā".delfi.lv(in Latvian). 4 July 2007.Retrieved5 July2007.
- ^"Zatlers ir prezidents".tvnet.lv/LETA(in Latvian). 31 May 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 20 June 2007.Retrieved2 June2007.
- ^1news."Президент Латвии награжден орденом" Гейдар Алиев "".1news.az.Retrieved25 September2019.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^"Odluka o odlikovanju Njegove Ekscelencije Valdisa Zatlersa, predsjednika Republike Latvije, Veleredom kralja Tomislava s lentom i Velikom Danicom".narodne-novine.nn.hr.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"Vabariigi President".www.president.ee.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunnan suurristin ketjuineen ulkomaalaiset saajat".www.ritarikunnat.fi.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"Саакашвили наградил президента Латвии орденом Святого Георгия - Новости Политики - Новости Mail.Ru".28 July 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 28 July 2014.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"Официальный сайт Президента РК:: КАЗАХСТАН".7 October 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 7 October 2008.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentė".grybauskaite1.lrp.lt.Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2020.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"BOE.es - Documento BOE-A-2009-7333".www.boe.es.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 502/2011 - Офіційне представництво Президента України".14 August 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 14 August 2014.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^"Document 581/2008".zakon.rada.gov.ua.Retrieved25 September2019.
External links
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