Valdis Dombrovskis
| Valdis Dombrovskis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| European Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 November 2014 | |
| President | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Preceded by | Jyrki Katainen (Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro) |
| Prime Minister of Latvia | |
| In office 12 March 2009 – 22 January 2014 | |
| President | Valdis Zatlers Andris Bērziņš |
| Preceded by | Ivars Godmanis |
| Succeeded by | Laimdota Straujuma |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 7 November 2002 – 9 March 2004 | |
| Prime Minister | Einars Repše |
| Preceded by | Gundars Bērziņš |
| Succeeded by | Oskars Spurdziņš |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 August 1971 Riga, Latvia |
| Political party | New Era Party (2002–2011) Unity (2011–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Ārija Dombrovska |
| Alma mater | University of Latvia Riga Technical University University of Maryland, College Park |
Valdis Dombrovskis (born 5 August 1971) is a Latvian politician who has served as European Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue since 2014. He served as Prime Minister of Latvia from 2009 until 2014, when he resigned.[1] He served as Minister of Finance from 2002 to 2004 and was a Member of the European Parliament for the New Era Party.
Education and science career
Born in Riga to a family with Polish roots, (The original Polish surname is Dąbrowski,) Dombrovskis earned a bachelor's degree in economics for engineers from Riga Technical University in 1995 and a master's degree in physics from the University of Latvia in 1996. He worked as a laboratory assistant at the Institute of Physics of the University of Mainz in Mainz, Germany, from 1995 to 1996, as an assistant at the University of Latvia's Institute of Solid-State Physics in 1997, and as a PhD student at the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park for electrical engineering in 1998.
Political activity
Dombrovskis has been a Member of the Board of the New Era Party since 2002. He was Minister of Finance of Latvia from 2002 to 2004 and a Member of the Latvian Parliament during its 8th parliamentary term (2002–2004). Then he was Observer at the Council of the European Union (2003–2004).
As Member of the European Parliament, Dombrovskis was a member of three European Parliament Committees: Committee on Budgets, Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. He is also a Substitute at Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Committee on Budgetary Control and delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan, and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia.
Dombrovskis was also one of six Members of the European Parliament participating in the European Union's observer mission in Togo for the October 2007 Togolese parliamentary election.[2]
On 26 February 2009, following the resignation of Ivars Godmanis, President Valdis Zatlers nominated Dombrovskis to succeed Godmanis as Prime Minister.[1] It was believed that his government would consist of three of the four previously governing parties (all but Godmanis' LPP/LC), his own New Era Party, and a smaller right-wing party (the Civic Union); the government was approved on 12 March 2009.[3]
Resignation
Dombrovskis resigned as Prime Minister on 27 November 2013 following the Zolitūde shopping centre roof collapse in which 54 people were killed. He announced that a new government is needed with strong support in the parliament after the tragedy, considering all related circumstances. His spokesman said that "the government takes political responsibility for the tragedy".[4] He denied the president had urged him to step down, stating that he had considered the decision for days and that the country needs government with strong support in parliament in the moment of crisis.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Dombrovskis chosen as Latvian PM". BBC News. 26 February 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
- ↑ "Arrivée à Lomé des députés européens", Republicoftogo.com, 11 October 2007 (French).
- ↑ http://www.javno.com/en-world/latvia-government-named-differences-emerge_239733
- ↑ Latvian government falls over Riga supermarket disaster, BBC News, 27 November 2013.
- ↑ "Dombrovskis uzņemas atbildību par traģēdiju Zolitūdē - krīt valdība" (in Latvian). delfi.lv. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valdis Dombrovskis. |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gundars Bērziņš |
Minister of Finance 2002–2004 |
Succeeded by Oskars Spurdziņš |
| Preceded by Ivars Godmanis |
Prime Minister of Latvia 2009–2014 |
Succeeded by Laimdota Straujuma |
| Preceded by Andris Piebalgs |
Latvian European Commissioner 2014–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Jyrki Katainen as European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro |
European Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue 2014–present | |
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