Guntars Krasts

Guntars Krasts
Krasts in 2011
14thPrime Minister of Latvia
In office 7 August 1997 – 26 November 1998
President	Guntis Ulmanis
Preceded by	Andris Šķēle
Succeeded by	Vilis Krištopans
Minister of the Economy
In office 21 December 1995 – 7 August 1997
Prime Minister	Andris Šķēle
Preceded by	Jānis Zvanītājs
Succeeded by	Atis Sausnītis
Member of the European Parliament forLatvia
In office 2004–2009
Personal details
Born	(1957-10-16)16 October 1957 Riga,Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Political party	For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK(until 2008) Libertas Latvia(2008–2010) Latvian Association of Regions(since 2018)
Alma mater	University of Latvia

Guntars Krasts(born 16 October 1957) is aLatvianpolitician, former Prime Minister, and formerMember of the European Parliamentfor thesingle Latvia constituency.Born inRiga,he was the Minister of Economy of Latvia from December 1995 to August 1997,Prime Minister of Latviafrom August 1997 to November 1998, and the Deputy Prime Minister from November 1998 to June 1999. Krasts was a member ofSaeima,the Latvian parliament, from June 1999 until being elected to the European Parliament in 2004.

Guntars Krasts in the European institutions

Guntars Krasts was elected inthe 2004 Euroelectionsas MEP for thesingle Latvia constituencyas a member ofFor Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK.He sits with theUnion for a Europe of Nationsgroup(UEN).He leftFor Fatherland and Freedom/LNNKin February 2008 but joined no other party.As of 31 March 2009, his European Parliament profile shows no national party membership.

On 28 March 2008,Libertas Latviagave a press conference in which Krasts was named as the head of the Libertas Latvia list.The list would total eight candidates to contend the nine seats assigned to thesingle Latvia constituency.In theEP elections of 2009,the Libertas.lv list fell short of entering parliament, receiving 4,3% of the vote.

Later activities

After the elections, Krasts distanced himself from politics, working in aUnited NationsandEuropean Unionproject inMoldovaas a government advisor for state reform and EU integration for theGovernment of Moldova.In 2018, it was announced that he had joined theLatvian Association of Regions.

See also

• Krasts cabinet