14 Facts About Valdis Zatlers

Valdis Zatlers is a Latvian politician and former physician who served as the seventh president of Latvia from 2007 to 2011.

Valdis Zatlers won the Latvian presidential election of 31 May 2007.

Valdis Zatlers became President of Latvia on 8 July 2007 and left office on 7 July 2011 after failing to win reelection for a second term.

Valdis Zatlers is an orthopedic surgeon, who graduated from the Institute of Medicine in Riga in 1979.

Valdis Zatlers was the director of the Latvian Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital from 1994 and chief of its board from 1998.

Valdis Zatlers himself was not a member of any political party, but had signed the manifesto of the People's Party when the party was founded in 1998.

Valdis Zatlers accused lawmakers of being soft on corruption and announced that he would use his constitutional powers to initiate a referendum on the dissolution of the current Saeima.

Valdis Zatlers was the first President of Latvia to use these reserve presidential powers.

Valdis Zatlers attended the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square on 9 May, making good on his acceptance of his invitation to attend the 65th VE Day celebrations in Russia that he received in February.

In December 2010, Valdis Zatlers made his first official state visit to Moscow.

In July 2008, KNAB ruled that Valdis Zatlers had not violated the law by accepting these donations.

In 2003, Valdis Zatlers was the subject of an investigation by KNAB, Latvia's anti-corruption office.

The investigation was started based on a request by Aris Auders, a former subordinate of Valdis Zatlers who had become the Minister of Healthcare.

Valdis Zatlers is married to Lilita Zatlere and has three children.