Egils Levits
Who was Egils Levits?
Latvian jurist and politician who served as the tenth President of Latvia from 2019 to 2023, previously working as a judge at the European Court of Justice.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Egils Levits (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Egils Levits was born on June 30, 1955, in Riga, Latvia, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He finished his secondary education at Riga State Gymnasium No. 2, then continued his studies at the Latvian Gymnasium in Münster, Germany, and later at the University of Hamburg. There, he focused on law and political science. His education in Western Europe during the Cold War shaped his views on liberal democracy and the rule of law, key principles in his public service career.
In the late Soviet era, Levits joined the movement for Latvian independence. He became a member of the Popular Front of Latvia and helped draft the declaration of restored independence in 1990. After Latvia regained its independence, he held important governmental roles, including serving as the vice-prime minister and minister for justice from 1993 to 1994. He was also Latvia's ambassador to Hungary, Austria, and Switzerland from 1994 to 1995, representing the new nation internationally.
In 1995, Levits became a judge at the European Court of Human Rights, staying in the role until 2004. That year, when Latvia joined the European Union, he became a judge at the European Court of Justice, serving until 2019. In 2015, he ran for the presidency of Latvia, finishing second to Raimonds Vējonis in the parliamentary election, even though he had National Alliance support. He stood as an independent without formal party ties.
In 2019, the Saeima, Latvia's parliament, elected Levits as the tenth President of Latvia, following Raimonds Vējonis. During his presidency, he led the country through challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Levits was known for supporting Ukraine and focusing on Latvia's alignment with Euro-Atlantic values and constitutional democracy. He announced in May 2023 that he would not seek another term, and on May 31, 2023, the Saeima elected Edgars Rinkēvičs as his successor. Levits has earned many awards for his service, including the Order of the Three Stars, the Cross of Recognition, Ukraine's Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, and the Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana from Estonia in 2023. He is married and has two children, a son named Linards and a daughter named Indra. He published a book of memoirs in 2019.
Before Fame
Egils Levits grew up in Soviet-occupied Latvia, where access to Western legal and political ideas was limited and politically risky. He chose to study in West Germany at the Latvian Gymnasium in Münster and then at the University of Hamburg, joining a group of Baltic emigrants and diaspora-connected thinkers who learned about European legal traditions while their homeland was under Soviet control. This experience gave him a solid understanding of West German constitutional law and human rights, knowledge not easily available to many in Latvia at the time.
As Soviet control over the Baltic states weakened in the late 1980s, Levits got involved in Latvia's political scene, joining the Popular Front of Latvia and helping draft the 1990 declaration of restored independence. His background in Western legal education and dedication to Latvian independence made him a credible figure in the new state's legal and diplomatic circles, leading to his later roles in government, international courts, and eventually as president.
Key Achievements
- Served as the tenth President of Latvia from 2019 to 2023
- Contributed to the legislative declaration of restored Latvian independence in 1990 as a member of the Popular Front of Latvia
- Served as a judge at the European Court of Justice from 2004 to 2019, one of the EU's highest judicial bodies
- Held the role of judge at the European Court of Human Rights from 1995 to 2004
- Served as Latvia's vice-prime minister and minister for justice in 1993 to 1994 during the critical early years of restored statehood
Did You Know?
- 01.Levits attended the Latvian Gymnasium in Münster, Germany, an institution established to educate children of Latvian displaced persons and emigres after World War II.
- 02.He finished second in the 2015 Latvian presidential election, losing to Raimonds Vējonis despite being backed by the National Alliance, before winning the presidency four years later.
- 03.Although he served as the candidate of the National Alliance in 2015 and later became president, Levits has consistently identified as a political independent without formal party membership.
- 04.He served as a judge at two separate major European courts: the European Court of Human Rights from 1995 to 2004, and the European Court of Justice from 2004 to 2019.
- 05.Levits published a book of memoirs in 2019, the same year he assumed the Latvian presidency, offering a personal account of his experiences spanning the Soviet era through Latvia's Euro-Atlantic integration.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Order of the Three Stars | — | — |
| Cross of Recognition | — | — |
| Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class | — | — |
| Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana | 2023 | — |