Today, members of the Latvian Parliament approved MP Raimonds Čudars (New Unity – Jaunā vienotība, JV) as the new Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development.
Jānis Zariņš will take Čudars’ seat in the Saeima.
Čudars was nominated by New Unity. Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (JV) previously highlighted Čudars’ extensive experience in municipal governance, particularly his long tenure as Mayor of Salaspils. He has served both as a minister and as an MP and is well-versed in the areas overseen by the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development.
Siliņa and Čudars have agreed on key priorities for his term, including: advancing digitalization and artificial intelligence, reviewing the electoral process and preparing for the next Saeima elections, strengthening Latvia’s eastern border, and fostering regional development.
The previous Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development, Inga Bērziņa (JV), stepped down,
assuming political responsibility for problems encountered during the municipal elections.
According to LETA archives, Čudars was born in 1974 and earned a law degree from the University of Latvia in 1996. From 2002 to 2009, he worked as a practicing lawyer.
In 2001, Čudars was elected to the Salaspils municipal council on the Latvian Farmers’ Union ticket. In 2005, he was re-elected from the New Era party. In 2009, he was elected from a joint list of New Era and For Fatherland and Freedom, and subsequently became Chairman of the Salaspils Council.
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