Background
Vējonis was born on June 15, 1966 in Pskov Oblast to a Latvian father and a Russian mother, while his father was serving in the Soviet army there. He grew up in Sarkaņi and attended school in the nearby town of Madona.
biologist minister politician president
Vējonis was born on June 15, 1966 in Pskov Oblast to a Latvian father and a Russian mother, while his father was serving in the Soviet army there. He grew up in Sarkaņi and attended school in the nearby town of Madona.
He graduated from Faculty of Biology of the University of Latvia in 1989 and obtained a master"s degree from it in 1995.
He served as Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development in 2002 and in 2011 and as Minister of the Environment from 2003 to 2011, while the Ministry of Regional Development was a separate department. He became Minister of Defence of Latvia in 2014 and held that office until becoming President in 2015. During his studies he worked as a biology teacher in Madona.
From 1989 to 1996 he was deputy director of Madona Regional Environmental board.
From 1996 to 2002 he was director of Greater Riga Regional Environmental board, during this period he also was a board member in Skulte port and served as state representative at Getliņi Eko waste management company. Vējonis became Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development on 7 November 2002.
In 2014 he became the Minister of Defense after his coalition entered government again. He was elected as President of Latvia on 3 June 2015.
He used his victory speech to promise to ensure national security, in light of events in Ukraine, while protecting the environment.
On January 18, 2016 Vējonis was hospitalized. He was first transported to Toxicology and sepsis clinic of Riga East Clinical University Hospital branch Gaiļezers, but a day later transferred to Latvian Cardiology Center at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. The press counselor of the president initially did not disclose the nature of the illness and suggested that the president has a viral infection.
However independent medical experts theorized that Vējonis probably has infective endocarditis.
On January 20 Vējonis underwent an emergency open heart surgery to eliminate source of infection in which heart valve damaged by Sepsis was replaced with artificial heart valve. Later on unnamed sources told press that illness was likely caused by untreated tonsillitis, the press counselor of the president, while still refusing to disclose exact diagnosis, confirmed that the president had been having issues with his throat and his voice had been very hoarse.
He is a member of the Green Party, part of the Union of Greens and Farmers. He lost the office on 25 October 2011 as a new government was formed after a parliamentary election and his Union of Greens and Farmers was not included.
He was a member of Madona city council from 1990 to 1993. In 2003 when the ministry was split into two departments, Vējonis became the Minister of the Environment and remained in the office as a member of several governments until 2011, when both departments were merged back and he again became Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. He continued his political career as a member of parliament.