Aigars Kalvītis

Who is Aigars Kalvītis?

Aigars Kalvītis is a Latvian politician, former Prime Minister of Latvia and current Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Balzams.

Kalvītis graduated from Latvia University of Agriculture in 1992 with a degree in economics. From 1992 to 1998, he was a manager at various agriculture-related businesses. Kalvītis was one of the founders of People's Party of Latvia in 1997 and was first elected to Saeima, the Latvian parliament, in 1998. He served as the minister of agriculture from 1999 to 2000 and the minister of economics from 2000 to 2002. Kalvītis was reelected to Saeima and became the leader of the parliamentary faction of People's Party in 2002.

On 2 December 2004, he became the Prime Minister of Latvia. Kalvītis at first led a coalition government consisting of his own People's Party, the New Era Party, the Union of Greens and Farmers and the Latvia's First Party. In April 2006, the New Era Party left the government and Kalvītis led a minority coalition government consisting of the other three parties.

His governing coalition retained power in the 7 October 2006 parliamentary election, winning a slight majority of seats and becoming the first government since Latvian independence in 1991 to be re-elected. It now consists of the People's Party, Union of Greens and Farmers, the Latvia First/Latvian Way Party, and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK. For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK was added after the 2006 elections, and strengthens the coalition's majority to 59 of the 100 seats. Meanwhile, the People’s Party became the largest party in Parliament. Kalvītis became its chairman.