Jānis Straume (born 27 August 1962 in

Sigulda Sigulda (; german: Segewold, pl, Zygwold, russian: Сигулда) is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, from the capital city Riga. Overview Sigulda is on a picturesque stretch of the primeval Gauja river valley. Because of the reddish De ...

, Latvian SSR) is a former Latvian politician for

For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK ( lv, Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/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. The party was founded ...

(TB/LNNK). He was the fourth

Speaker of the Saeima The Speaker of the Saeima ( lv, Saeimas priekšsēdētājs; lit. "Chairperson of the Saeima") is the presiding officer of the Parliament of Latvia, the Saeima. If the President of Latvia resigns from office, dies or is removed from office be ...

(1998–2002) since 1991. Straume was a leading member of a number of organisations in the

Latvian independence movement The modern Latvian independence movement was the resistance movement to foreign occupation of the Republic of Latvia during Soviet and Nazi German occupation (1940–1991). First year (1940–1941) of occupation The effects of the Molotov–Ribbe ...

, including Helsinki-86, the

Latvian National Independence Movement The Latvian National Independence Movement ( lv, Latvijas Nacionālās Neatkarības Kustība, LNNK) was a political organization in Latvia from 1988 until 1997. It formed in 1988 as the radical wing of Latvian nationalist movement. Unlike the main ...

, the Citizens' Congress, and the 18th November Union. When the 18th November Union merged into For Fatherland and Freedom, he became a member of that party. He served as the

from 1998 to 2002, during the 7th Saeima. He was chairman of the TB/LNNK from 2002 to 2006, during the 8th Saeima, when he was also Deputy Chairman of the Saeima.

Footnotes

, - 1962 births Living people People from Sigulda Latvian National Independence Movement politicians For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK politicians Speakers of the Saeima Deputies of the 5th Saeima Deputies of the 6th Saeima Deputies of the 7th Saeima Deputies of the 8th Saeima Riga Stradiņš University alumni {{Latvia-politician-stub