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| Einars Repse |
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Einars Repse, the leader of the Latvian center-right New Party and country's Defense Minister, decided to sell most of his properties to clear debts, in respect of his political career. He is going to sell everything, including his recreation center at Lake Raznas in eastern Latvia, but to keep the house built by his father in Ikskile, near Riga, and real estate in the eastern town of Barkava. He hopes, that clearing debts will help him to overcome a certain drop in popularity caused by compromising publications.
For the 15 years since Latvia became an independent state, Repse Einars has been considered one of the most prominent Latvian politicians. Latvian by nationality, he was born on December 9th, 1961 in the city of Jelgava. Repse speaks the Russian and English languages fluently.
In 1979 he finished the Riga high school, in 1986 – graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Latvian State University. He is divorced, has three children.
Being a typical "white-collar" type, Repse Einars started his career as a construction engineer at the Special Designers Bureau of Scientific Instrumentation, Latvian Academy of Sciences (1986-1990).
After the short break caused by his extremely active participation in Latvian internal policy during the period of separation of the republic from the USSR, he returned to the public service in 1991 but in a totally new position. He became the first president of the revived Bank of Latvia (Latvijas Banka - LB).
Repse Einars remained at this post for ten years, up to 2001 and received major operational experience in the financial sphere. He became one of the richest citizens of Latvia and, more important, amassed public support and respect. Radical reform of the financial system of Latvia during the separation from USSR is connected with his name, as is the revival and surprising stability of the national currency ("Lats"). The rise and progress of the national banking system is also attributed to his policy.
His period at the post of president of LB was marked by successful overcoming of the largest bank crisis in history of modern Latvia, caused by bankruptcy of one of leading banks of the country "Bank Baltija" (1995).
For special merit in the field of economics Repse Einars received Latvia's highest decoration, the Three Star Order (1997).
A year after that his name appeared on the list of the 600 most influential financiers of the world, as compiled by the international magazine “Global Finance".
He first entered politics in 1988 as one of founders and leaders of the Latvian National Independence Movement ("Latvijas Nacionala Neatkaribas kustiba" - LNNK). In 1989,while working at the Academy of Sciences, Repse edited the party magazine "Independence" ("Neatkariba"). Also he took part in the activities of the Latvian National Front ("Latvijas Tautas fronte"), becoming its leader and a chairman of the "Committee for Demilitarization of Latvia" which promoted the withdrawal of the Soviet army in 1990.
In March 1990 he was elected to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia ("Latvijas Republikas Augstakaja padomc" - AP). Being the president of the Bank of Latvia, Repse also was a chairman of the Banking and Finance Subcommittee of the Economic Committee, and, simultaneously, a member of the Commission on Currency Reform (1991-1993).
Within his ten years of economical activities, he always kept close ties with
right wing politicians of the national camp and even was considered to be one of the most probable candidates for the post of Prime Minister in 1994.
In November 2001 Repse declared that he is leaving the post of president of LB and desires to return to national politics.
In February 2002 he created and headed the right wing party "New Era" ("Jaunais laiks").
In November 2002, beating even the most courageous forecasts of the parliamentary election results, Repse was approved by the Latvian parliament (Saeima) to take the post of Prime Minister.
After resignation in March, 2004 he led an opposition to the ruling coalition of Indulis Emsis, whose government falls in December 2004, in many respects due to the efforts of Repse. In the new coalition government of Aigars Kalvitis, Repse took over the Ministry of Defense.
In Latvian internal policy he is guided exclusively by Latvian electorate interests, denying an opportunity for any political cooperation with representatives of the Russian-speaking population. To his mind there can be only one state language - Latvian. From the first half of the 1990s Repse has been considered to be the leading exponent of financial and political interests of young Latvian business-elite. At the same time, during the last few years, some signs of his contacts with the group of Russian oligarchs opposing president Putin, were observed.
Namely: there were rumors of an involvement with Boris Berezovsky through a Valery Belokon - Grigory Krupnikov tandem in the financing of Repse’s political activity over the last three years. Krupnikov, a citizen of Latvia and former chairman of the Latvian Jewish community held the post of secretary general of "New Era" until January 31st, 2005.
Possible cooperation with oppositional Russian oligarchs suits Repse’s foreign policy. An active supporter and a facilitator of Latvian integration into EU and NATO, he simultaneously takes a constrained stand concerning Russia.
During his tenure in the Prime Minister's office the official Russian press repeatedly reproached him for "unwillingness to settle disagreements" concerning the Russian-speaking minority in Latvia. Repse answered with criticism of how Moscow officials evade effective negotiations on concrete questions and opened a demagogical propaganda campaign against the Latvian authorities, directed at destabilization of the internal political situation in the country.
At the beginning of 2005, especially during the formation of present coalition, some unidentified sources "poured" massive amounts of "evidence" into the Latvian press on Repse’s alleged involvement in financial swindles during his work in LB, and his tenure in the Prime Minister’s office. Even details of his private life were “leaked” to the press. Concurrently several articles “exposing” him appeared in the Russian newspapers.
A rumor that cannot be refuted claims that an order to blacken Repse’s reputation did not come from Riga. Following an ancient Soviet tradition and wide experience with the KGB’s Department "A", the Kremlin may have decided to prevent the return to power of such an influential figure of the Latvian right camp.
Despite a certain drop in popularity caused by compromising publications, Einars Repse still remains one of the leading, most ambitious and highly potential Latvian politicians of the new generation. Considering his strong positions in business and political circles, both in Latvia and abroad, it seems that Repse will return to the Prime Minister’s office.
Related items:
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Baltic defense officials joined NATO's meeting in Berlin (14.09.2005)
Latvia and Armenia concluded a treaty on military cooperation (07.09.2005)
Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev came on an official visit to Riga (15.08.2005)
Latvian Minister of Defense Einars Repse met with his Ukrainian counterpart Anatoliy Gritzenko in Kiev today (27.04.2005).
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