Artūras Paulauskas (born 23 August 1953 in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

) is a Lithuanian politician. He was the Speaker of

Seimas The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas), or simply the Seimas (), is the unicameral parliament of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of government in Lithuania, enacting laws and amendme ...

, the parliament of Lithuania, from 2000 to 2006, and he served as Acting President of Lithuania from 6 April 2004 to 12 July 2004.

Early career

Artūras Paulauskas graduated from

Vilnius University Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and ...

with a degree in law in 1976. He then worked as an investigator and a prosecutor. He was Deputy Prosecutor General of Lithuania from 1987 to 1990 and Prosecutor General of Lithuania from 1990 to 1995. He was again Deputy Prosecutor General from 1995 to 1997 and was engaged in private legal practice from 1997 to 2000.

Political career

Artūras Paulauskas entered politics by running for President of Lithuania in the 1997–1998 elections. He was supported by outgoing President Algirdas Brazauskas and narrowly lost in the runoff to

Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus (; born Voldemaras Adamkavičius; 3 November 1926) is a Lithuanian-American politician, diplomat and civil engineer. He served as the 5th and 7th President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009. Adamkus' ...

, with Paulauskas gaining 49.6% of vote and Adamkus gaining 50.4%. He then established The

New Union (Social Liberals) The New Union (Social Liberals) ( lt, Naujoji sąjunga (socialliberalai), NS) was a Social liberalism, social-liberal list of political parties in Lithuania, political party in Lithuania. The NS was a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democra ...

party, becoming its chairman on 25 April 1998. This party gained 19.6% of vote in the 2000 parliamentary election. Following this election, he became the Speaker of Seimas on 19 October 2000. Following the impeachment of President

Rolandas Paksas Rolandas Paksas (; born 10 June 1956) is a Lithuanian politician who was the sixth President of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004. He was previously Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001, and he also served as Mayor of Vilniu ...

on 6 April 2004, Paulauskas served as acting President of Lithuania until early elections were held and a new president, Valdas Adamkus, was sworn on 12 July 2004. On 11 April 2006, Paulauskas was removed from office as Speaker by 94 votes (only 11 parliamentarians voted against it). His party

did not participate in the election. Paulauskas was succeeded by Viktoras Muntianas. Paulauskas was named as the candidate for the post of Minister of Environment by Prime Minister

Gediminas Kirkilas Gediminas Kirkilas (, born 30 August 1951) is a Lithuanian politician who was Prime Minister of Lithuania from 2006 to 2008. Life and career Kirkilas was born in Vilnius in 1951. After returning from mandatory military service, from 1972 to 197 ...

on 30 January 2008. As Minister, he made a May 2008 statement at a meeting of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development supporting the use of renewable energy resources in Lithuania. In 2015, news media reported that Paulauskas was included in a Russian blacklist of prominent people from the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

who are not allowed to enter the country.European Union anger at Russian travel blacklist

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

, 31 May 2015.

References

External links

*
Biography
from

website. *
Personal website
*

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Paulauskas, Arturas 1953 births Attorneys General of Lithuania Environment ministers of Lithuania Lawyers from Vilnius Living people Presidents of Lithuania Speakers of the Seimas Vilnius University alumni 21st-century Lithuanian politicians 20th-century Lithuanian lawyers 21st-century Lithuanian lawyers Communist Party of Lithuania politicians New Union (Social Liberals) politicians Freedom and Justice politicians Labour Party (Lithuania) politicians Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 1st Class