Ilze Indriksone (born 29 October 1974) is a Latvian environmental planner and politician representing the National Alliance (NA) party. From May 2022 to September 2023, she served as the Minister of Economics. She was a member of the 13th

Saeima The Saeima () is the parliament of the Latvia, Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the p ...

(elected from the NA) and during that term, she was parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Economy and deputy chairman of the Talsi Municipal Council. Indriksone is also member of the board of the Pedvale Open Air Museum. In 2022, Indriksone was elected in the 14th Saeima. On 15 December 2024, Indriksone has been elected as the chairwoman of the National Alliance, succeeding long-time leader Raivis Dzintars.

Early life and career

Indriksone was born on 29 October 1974 in

Talsi Talsi (; , ) (population 11,371) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia. It is the administrative centre of Talsi Municipality. It is nicknamed the "green pearl of Courland". Etymology It is believed that the name is derived from an old Livo ...

. After graduating from Laidze elementary school, She continued her studies at the Talsi State Gymnasium, which she graduated in 1992. After that, she graduated from Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (qualification of environmental engineer, bachelor's degree in environmental sciences, 1998) and Faculty of Business, Management and Economics of the

University of Latvia University of Latvia (, shortened ''LU'') is a public research university located in Riga, Latvia. The university was established in 1919. History The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia () was founded on Se ...

(master's degree in environmental management, 2001). Before being elected to the Saeima, Indriksone worked, among other things, as a freelance landscaper, as deputy chairwoman of the Talsi municipal council and before that from 2010 to 2016 as head of the passenger transport department of Talsi Autotransports.

Political activities

In 2000, Indriksone became involved in politics, joining the party

For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK (, abbreviated to TB/LNNK) was a free-market, national conservative political party in Latvia. In 2011, it dissolved and merged into the National Alliance (Latvia), National Alliance. The party was founded from sm ...

. In the 2013 municipal elections, she was elected to the Talsi Municipal Council, representing the National Alliance. She was also elected in the 2017 TMC elections. Indriksone was the deputy chairperson of the TMC (2017-2018). In 2014, she ran for the

European Parliament elections Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years by Universal suffrage, universal adult suffrage; with more than 400 million people eligible to vote, they are the second largest democratic elections in the world after Electio ...

, but she did not get elected. In the 2018 parliamentary election, Indriksone was elected to the 13th Saeima. From August 2021 until the termination of the mandate of the deputy, she was the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Economy. After the resignation of the economic minister Jānis Vitenbergs in May 2022, Indriksone was nominated as the candidate of the NA for the post of Minister of Economy. On 26 May, the Saeima approved her as economic minister. Indriksone participated in the 2022 Latvian parliamentary election as part of the NA and was elected, and has continued to serve as the Minister of Justice in the Second Kariņš cabinet.

Personal life

Indriksone is divorced. She was married to Māris Liepiņš from 1994 to 2011 and she has four children. She is passionate about folk dancing and gardening.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Indriksone, Ilze 1974 births Living people People from Talsi 21st-century Latvian women politicians Deputies of the 13th Saeima Deputies of the 14th Saeima Ministers of economics of Latvia For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK politicians National Alliance (Latvia) politicians Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies alumni University of Latvia alumni Women deputies of the Saeima Women government ministers of Latvia