Who is Vaira Vike-Freiberga?
Perhaps not known well even in Latvia, Dr Vaira Vike-Freiberga has accomplished more than most people can imagine. The new President was born in Latvia, but fled when the Red Army occupied the country. Educated in Germany, Morocco and Canada, the linguist and psychologist has held academic, high governmental and NGO positions in Canada, especially among Francophone institutions. She was also a Latvian activist in exile, and she is well-known as a folklorist in addition to her trained professions. Many political observers believe that with her experience and linguistic skills, Vike-Freiberga is an ideal individual to sell Latvia on the international stage. Though she began her post as the director of the Latvian Institute only in late 1998, many believe she can repeat the rise to popularity enjoyed by Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, another returning exile. As Vike-Freiberga has not been elected by the public, it will perhaps take her more time to earn the people’s trust and favour
Vike-Freiberga was born in Riga, the Latvian capital, in December 1937, when Europe found itself on the edge of conflict. As World War II ravaged Europe, Latvia found itself occupied by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany, then, again, by the USSR. Ms Vike-Freiberga spent her childhood living in difficult conditions in refugee camps in Germany. Together with her family, she later moved to French Morocco, before settling in Canada at the age of 16. There, she embarked on a distinguished academic career, becoming a professor of psychology.
