President of Latvia (2019–2023) Egils Levits
The President of Latvia (2019–2023) Egils Levits is a Latvian lawyer and political scientist.
He was born in Riga on 30 June 1955.
In 1972, he graduated from Riga Secondary School No. 2, and then he immigrated with his family to Germany, where he graduated from the Munster Latvian Grammar School in 1973.
In 1982, Mr Levits graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Hamburg.
In 1986, he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Public Science at the University of Hamburg.
Mr Levits has actively participated in the restoration of Latvia in 1989–1991. He was a Member of the Council of the Latvian People’s Front and the Congress of Citizens. He is an author of the concept of the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of Latvia of 4 May 1990.
Mr Levits was the first Minister of Justice after full restoration of the Constitution, the first Ambassador of Latvia to Germany after restoration of the country, the first Latvian judge at the European Court of Human Rights (1995–2004), and the first Latvian judge at the European Court of Justice.
He has been a co-author of many significant draft laws (including the Law on the Constitutional Court of Latvia, Administrative Procedure Law, Law on the Structure of the Cabinet of Ministers, etc.). Mr Levits is also the author of the Preamble or Introduction to the Constitution adopted in 2014.
Author of many scientific publications on the issues regarding state law, administrative law, human rights, and democracy. Mr Levits has provided many opinions on various legal and political and legal issues to the Latvian Parliament (Saeima), the Cabinet of Ministers, various ministries, the Constitutional Court, other courts, public authorities, the institutions of the European Union, and international institutions. He publishes regularly on development challenges in Latvia.
Mr Levits has been the Ambassador of Latvia to Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland, as well as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Member of the Parliament.
He has chaired the Commission of the Constitutional Law of the President of Latvia (2007–2013).
Judge at the European Court of Justice (2004–2019).
Apart from the native Latvian language, he mastered four foreign languages – English, French, German, and Russian.
Awards:
Order of the Three Stars, Class IV (2000).
Honorary Doctor of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (2002).
Cross of Recognition, Class I (2005).
Public Dignity Award Cicero in the international category for advocating high standards of justice (2011).
Memorial Award of Dietrich André Loeber of the Latvian Academy of Sciences for an outstanding contribution to the development of Latvian jurisprudence (2013).
Class I insignia of the judicial system for the outstanding lifelong contribution to the development of the Latvian judicial system, the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law in Latvia and in the world (2013).
Letter of Recognition by the Cabinet of Ministers on outstanding contribution to the development of jurisprudence and legislation (2016).
Award by the Cabinet of Ministers for significant contribution to the development of the Latvian judicial system, the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law, and scientific achievements in justice (2018).
European of the Year 2018 in Latvia (2018).
Honorary Doctor of the School of Business Administration Turiba (2019).
Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, Class I (2021).