Valdis Dombrovskis

Former Prime Minister of Latvia

Valdis Dombrovskis is hardly a household name, but his quiet success in restarting the Latvian economy and ensuring his country’s entry into the eurozone could help propel him to a top job in Brussels.

Like Jean-Claude Juncker, Dombrovskis had a distinct advantage in the race for the nomination to be EPP candidate for the presidency of the European Commission – he is no longer a prime minister whose electorate may frown upon him running for another job. However, he pulled out of the race just before the EPP Congress in Dublin, and may now have his eye on a senior role in the Commission (or even the presidency of the European Council).

Dombrovskis as a compromise candidate for the Commission presidency seems unlikely, but his pro-reform credentials mean he cannot be completely ruled out.

Born in 1971, Dombrovskis has a scientific background, including a Master’s degree in physics. He studied and worked in Germany and the United States.

His political career has included a spell as Latvia’s finance minister (2002 to 2004), after which he spent nearly five years as a Member of the European Parliament. He returned to Latvia in 2009 to take up the position of prime minister. He took the role in the midst of an economic crisis, stating that Latvia was “on the verge of bankruptcy” and would need to make budget cuts or risk financial collapse.

Dombrovskis helped to turn the economy around, making it one of the EU’s fastest-growing economies of the past couple of years. It a good story for a candidate who is otherwise either unknown or perceived as drab. He stuck to austerity measures, which earned him plaudits in Brussels.

Although he resigned in the wake of a tragedy – the collapse of a supermarket in November 2013 that saw 54 people die and for which took “full responsibility” – this probably has not damaged his prospects too much.

Categories: Commission President, EP President, European Council President