Andris Šķēle

Andris Šķēle

Andris Šķēle [ ˈandris ˈʃceːle ] (born January 16, 1958 in Ape ) is a Latvian politician and businessman.

Life

Andris Šķēle studied at the Latvian Agricultural Academy. After Latvia gained independence in 1990, he worked in the state administration and briefly ran the affairs of the Minister of Agriculture. From 1993 he devoted himself to his business activities.

Businessman

During his tenure as Minister of Agriculture and thereafter, Andris Šķēle became one of the richest people in Latvia. His fortune was estimated by the Baltic Times newspaper at 60 million euros, which put him in 15th place in their list of the richest Balts. He acquired his fortune mainly in the course of the privatization of Latvian state-owned companies. At first he bought and founded mainly companies in the food industry. Through his consulting firm, which advised the government, he gained influence on privatization and economic policy.

Politician

On September 21, 1995, Šķēle was elected Prime Minister of his country without belonging to a party. He held this position in two different cabinets until August 7, 1997. Then he founded the Tautas Partija ( People's Party ), which immediately became the strongest force in the parliamentary elections for the 7th Saeima . On July 16, 1999 Šķēle took over the office of Prime Minister again. After the resignation of the government he led on May 5, 2000, he remained a member of parliament until 2003. He then resigned his mandate and officially withdrew from politics, but was still the most influential member of the People's Party .

In 2009 Šķēle was again elected chairman of the Tautas partija . In the 2010 general election , he ran as their top candidate. But the electoral alliance Par Labu Latviju overthrew ! ( For a good Latvia! ), Which his party joined, voted 7.8% of the vote in the 2010 general election. (In the 2006 parliamentary elections , the Tautas partija alone had 19.5% of the vote.) Thereupon Šķēle dissolved his party. He did not run for the 2011 parliamentary elections . Since then, he has influenced Latvian politics in other ways.

Šķēle was involved in several criminal trials, but without being charged or convicted himself.

Private life

Andris Šķēle is married to the former MP Kristiāna Lībane-Šķēle in his second marriage. Just like the two daughters from her first marriage, she is a partner in the Šķēļes company and entered on the lists of Latvian millionaires.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Elmar Römpczyk: Klondike Baltikum or the real transformation process . Haag + Herchen, Hanau 2010, ISBN 978-3-89846-593-9 , p. 64.
2. ↑ Šķēles ģimene miljonāru sarakstā pakāpjas uz 5.vietu Diena.lv

predecessor	Office	successor
Māris Gailis	Prime Minister of Latvia December 21, 1995 - August 6, 1997	Guntars Krasts

predecessor	Office	successor
Vilis Krištopans	Prime Minister of Latvia July 16, 1999 - May 5, 2000	Andris Bērziņš