The Latvian Saeima (Parliament) confirmed an MP from the Progressives Party, Atis Svinka, as the country’s new transportation minister.
The vote was 52 for and 41 against.
Svinka was born in 1973 and holds a BA in management and social sciences from the University of Latvia. At age 20, he became executive director for Junior Achievement Latvia, and in the late 1990s, he and his team introduced economics lessons at schools. Svinka also helped to organise special events such as Job Shadow Day.
Atis Svinka has been CEO of several companies and still owns shares in several of them, including Ammolite, LIC, Mush and LIC GOTUS.
Svinka ran as a candidate in the 14th Saeima election in 2012 at the top of the candidate list in the Zemgale district and was elected. He is also one of the party’s board members.
As an MP, Svinka has served on the Defence, Internal Affairs and Anti-Corruption Committee, as well as the National Security Committee. This has meant that he has had top clearance to state secrets – something that will be of use to him as a minister. Svinka has also previously been the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Defence.
On February 21, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina announced a “restart” of her government, which involved the sacking of Transport Minister Kaspars Briskens from the Progressives, Education Minister Anda Caksa from New Unity, and Welfare Minister Uldis Augulis (Greens/Farmers).
The Greens/Farmers chose Reinis Uzulnieks, parliamentary secretary at the Welfare Ministry, to take over the ministry’s leadership, while New Unity picked the parliamentary secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Dace Melbarde, to serve as minister for education and science.
Source: BNS
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