Valdas Adamkus

"Adamkus" redirects here. For other people with the same surname, see Adamkus (surname).

Valdas Adamkus
Adamkus in 2010
5th and 7th President of Lithuania
In office
12 July 2004 – 12 July 2009
Prime Minister
List
Preceded byArtūras Paulauskas (Acting)
Succeeded byDalia Grybauskaitė
In office
26 February 1998 – 26 February 2003
Prime Minister
List
Preceded byAlgirdas Brazauskas
Succeeded byRolandas Paksas
Personal details
Born
Voldemaras Adamkavičius

(1926-11-03) 3 November 1926 (age 98)
Kaunas, Lithuania
Political partyIndependent[1]
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1951; died 2023)​
Alma materUniversity of Munich
Illinois Institute of Technology
ProfessionCivil engineer, civil servant
Signature
President Adamkus meeting with Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney in Lithuania. The meeting took place during the Vilnius Conference 2006: Common Visions for Common Neighborhoods.
Adamkus shaking hands with George W. Bush in the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. In the background is a copy of a famous sculpture by Juozas Zikaras, the Statue of Liberty.
Mikheil Saakashvili, Lech Kaczyński and Valdas Adamkus in Tbilisi, November 2007

Valdas Adamkus (Lithuanian: [ˈvɐ̂ˑɫdɐs ɐˈdɐmˑkʊs] ⓘ; born Voldemaras Adamkavičius; 3 November 1926)[2] is a Lithuanian politician, diplomat and civil engineer who served as the fifth and seventh president of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009.

Adamkus' first tenure as president lasted for five years, from 26 February 1998 to 28 February 2003, following his defeat by Rolandas Paksas in the 2003 presidential election. Paksas was later impeached and removed from office by a parliamentary vote on 6 April 2004. Soon afterwards, when a new election was announced, Adamkus again ran for president and was re-elected. His approval ratings increased during this period[3] and become a highly regarded moral authority in the state.[4] He was succeeded as president on 12 July 2009 by Dalia Grybauskaitė. He is considered by some as being one of the best Lithuanian leaders in modern history.[5]

He was married to Alma Adamkienė, who was involved in charitable activities in Lithuania. Following the end of his term as president, Adamkus remained involved in international development, and is a member of the European Academy of Diplomacy.

  1. ^ Miles, Lee (2003). The European Union: Annual Review 2002/2003. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4051-2986-2.
  2. ^ Suziedelis, Saulius A. (7 February 2011). Historical Dictionary of Lithuania. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810875364.
  3. ^ V. Adamkus išlieka populiariausiu Lietuvos politiku (Adamkus Remains the Most Popular Politician in Lithuania), Baltic News Service (BNS), 22 July 2006, Delfi.lt. Accessed 7 September 2006.
  4. ^ Leonidas Donskis, Užsikimšusios politinės lyderystės arterijos (Clogged Arteries of Political Leadership), Klaipėda, 24 April 2006, Delfi.lt. Accessed 7 September 2006.
  5. ^ "Raimundas Lopata: Prezidento Valdo Adamkaus istorijos samprata (II)".