Indulis Emsis(born 2 January 1952) is aLatvianbiologistand politician. He wasPrime Minister of Latviafor ten months in 2004, the firstGreenpolitician to lead a country in the history of the world. He wasSpeaker of the Saeima,the Latvian parliament from 2006 to 2007. Emsis' political views are described as ratherconservative,unusual for members ofgreen partiesaround the world.
Indulis Emsis | |
|---|---|
 Emsis in 2004 | |
| 18thPrime Minister of Latvia | |
| In office 9 March 2004 – 2 December 2004 | |
| President | Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga |
| Preceded by | Einars Repše |
| Succeeded by | Aigars Kalvītis |
| Speaker of the Saeima | |
| In office 7 November 2006 – 24 September 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Ingrīda Ūdre |
| Succeeded by | Gundars Daudze |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 January 1952 Salacgriva,Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Political party | Green Party |
| Alma mater | University of Latvia |
Early life
editEmsis graduated from Riga First Secondary School in 1970 and graduated from theUniversity of Latviawith a degree inbiologyin 1975. In 1986, he received hisPhD,also in biology. Until 1990, he worked as a research scientist inenvironmental science.From 1976 to 1987 Emsis worked as a research associate at the scientific production association "Silava", and head of its labor protection laboratory between 1987 and 1989. Emsis also worked as deputy chairman of the Soviet Latvia's State Nature Protection Committee.
Start of political career
editIn 1990, he became one of founders ofLatvian Green Party(LZP) and served as Minister for the environment in the 1990s, working especially for a cleanBaltic Sea.He is currently one of the three chairpersons of theLatvian Green Party,which forms a part ofUnion of Greens and Farmers. Emsis was included on the Green ticket for the 5th Saeima elections in 1993. Emsis was appointed special assignments minister of natural protection in Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development in the government ofValdis Birkavsin 1993. Emsis also held the office in the government ofMāris Gailisin 1994.
Emsis was elected to the 6th Saeima from the ticket of LNNK/LZP in 1995. As a member of the 6th Saeima, Emsis was elected to the parliament's Economic Policy Committee. Emsis was appointed special assignments minister of environment in the ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development whenAndris Šķēle's government was approved in 1995. Emsis again assumed the post when Šķēle returned with a new government in 1997, and also held it in the government ofGuntars Krasts.
In 1996, Emsis was awarded theThree Star Order(3rd category).[1]In 1998, Emsis was appointed head of a task force to prepare a development program for Latvia's small ports, and chairman of committee for assessment of conformity of beaches and yacht ports. In 1998, Emsis joined the parliamentary group of the Labor Party, Union of Christian Democrats and LZP. He was included on the three parties' joint ticket for the 7th Saeima elections. In 1998, Emsis assumed the post of Prime MinisterVilis Krištopans' non-staff advisor on environmental protection issues.
In 2000, LZP congress nominated Emsis as the party's candidate forRigamayor ahead of municipal elections. Emsis was elected to the Riga City Council form LZP ticket in March 2001, he worked as deputy chairman of the city council's City Development Committee.
In October 2002, Emsis was included on the ZZS ticket for the 8th Saeima elections. Emsis was elected to Saeima, and was appointed deputy chairman of the ZZS parliamentary group. Emsis was elected head of the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee, he also worked on the Public Expenditure and Audit Committee.
As prime minister
editAfter the resignation ofNew Era PartyleaderEinars Repše's government, PresidentVaira Vīķe-Freibergaassigned Emsis to form a new government; the Saeima voted Emsis' government in office in March 2004.
On 9 March 2004, he became the prime minister of Latvia, leading a centre-rightminority governmentconsisting of The Greens and Farmers union,Latvia's First PartyandLatvian People's Party.For most of time, the government was also supported by the leftistNational Harmony Party.
Emsis was the first member of aGreen partyto become Prime Minister of a country. On 28 October 2004, the government fell as theSaeimavoted 39–53 against the government's budget proposal for the year 2005. He left office on 2 December 2004, when parliament confirmedAigars Kalvītisof the People's Party as Prime Minister.
Speaker of Saeima
editEmsis returned to the Saeima in December 2004. In October 2006, Emsis was elected to the 9th Saeima from the ticket of the Union of Greens and Farmers. On 7 November 2006, he was electedSpeaker of the Saeima,defeatingSandra Kalnieteof theNew Era Partyby 74 votes to 22. In September 2007, he resigned after a criminal investigation was opened amid allegations of corruption regarding a briefcase containing $10,000 which he lost in the Cabinet of Ministers building; on 26 October, he confessed to giving false testimony in the investigation and was issued a fine.[2][3]
COVID-19
editOn 12 December 2021, Emsis made public statements on COVID-19 treatment very far removed from the scientific consensus.[4]
References
edit- ^"Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis"(in Latvian). gramata21.lv.Retrieved2 December2008.
- ^"Former parliamentary speaker slapped with fine".baltictimes.Retrieved8 October2024.
- ^Auers, Daunis (2012)."The curious case of the Latvian Greens".Environmental Politics.21(3): 522–527.doi:10.1080/09644016.2012.671579.ISSN0964-4016.
- ^Purina, Evita; Bite, Jūlija."Ekspremjers Emsis reklamē nereģistrētas zāles un pievienojas Covid maldinātājiem".rebaltica.lv.re:baltica.Retrieved17 December2021.