Ivars Godmanis

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Ivars Godmanis (born November 27, 1951) is a Latvian economist and politician, best known as the first prime minister of Latvia after the country restored its independence from the Soviet Union. He is the current interior minister of Latvia.

He was born in Riga. Godmanis served as prime minister from 1990 to 1993, focusing primarily on Latvia's difficult economic transition from a communist to a capitalist economy. He later served as finance minister from 1998 to 1999. Though originally associated with the Latvian Popular Front, he later switched to the Latvian Way party, of which he is now chairman. In November 2006, following elections in which the Latvia's Way Party returned to Parliament, Godmanis became interior minister.