Laima Liucija Andrikienė (born 1 January 1958) is a

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n politician serving as member of the

European Court of Auditors The European Court of Auditors (ECA; French: ''Cour des comptes européenne'') is the supreme audit institution of the European Union (EU). It was established in 1975 in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and is one of the Institutions of the European ...

since November 2022. Andrikienė is signatory of the

Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania or Act of 11 March () was an Declaration of independence, independence declaration by Lithuania adopted on 11 March 1990, signed by all members of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Se ...

, member of Reconstituent Seimas (1990–1992), former and current member of the

Seimas The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (), or simply the Seimas ( ; ), is the unicameralism, unicameral legislative body of the Lithuania, Republic of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of Government of Lithuania, govern ...

(1992–2000, 2020-current), former chair of Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas, former vice-president of the

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Assembly is made up of ...

, former Minister of Industry and Trade, former minister of European Affairs, and former member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

(2004–2014, 2016–2019) for the Homeland Union (Lithuanian Conservatives) and

European People’s Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...

, respectively.

Biography

Andrikienė was born in

Druskininkai Druskininkai (; also see other names) is a spa city on the Nemunas River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai is known for being a spa resort since the 19th century. Name The exact origi ...

on 1 January 1958. In 1980 Andrikienė graduated from

Vilnius University Vilnius University ( Lithuanian: ''Vilniaus universitetas'') is a public research university, which is the first and largest university in Lithuania, as well as one of the oldest and most prominent higher education institutions in Central and Ea ...

with a degree in Economics and Math. She worked as an engineer, an later as a research fellow, at the Lithuanian Institute for Research of Agricultural Economy. She successfully concluded doctoral studies in 1994. Andrikiene spent time as a Fellow at

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

and as a Pew Economic Freedom Fellow at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

Political career

In 1990 Andrikienė was elected to the

Supreme Council of Lithuania Supreme may refer to: Entertainment * Supreme (character), a comic book superhero created by Rob Liefeld * ''Supreme'' (film), a 2016 Telugu film * Supreme (producer), hip-hop record producer * "Supreme" (song), a 2000 song by Robbie Williams * ...

and was a signatory to the

. In the elections in 1992, she was elected as the member of the Sixth Seimas through the electoral list of

Sąjūdis The Sąjūdis (, ), initially known as the Reform Movement of Lithuania (), is a political organisation which led the struggle for Lithuanian independence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was established on 3 June 1988 as the first oppositi ...

. In 1996, representing

Homeland Union The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (, TS–LKD), also colloquially known as the Conservatives (), is a centre-right political party in Lithuania. It has 18,000 members and 28 of 141 seats in the Seimas. Its current leader ...

, she was elected for another term of the Seimas in Pramonės (17) single-seat constituency in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

. In December 1996 Andrikienė was appointed the Minister of the Industry and Trade for a short time. Later same month she was appointed a Minister of European Affairs. Andrikienė left the Homeland Union at the end of 1998 together with her then-husband and fellow member of the Seimas

Vidmantas Žiemelis Vidmantas Žiemelis (born 4 December 1950) is a Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, borde ...

. In 1999 they founded a short-lived Homeland People’s Party. In 2001 she joined the Lithuanian Union of the Right and in 2003 rejoined the

. In 2004 Andrikienė was elected to the

for Lithuania. She was elected from the electoral list of the

and sat with the

European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...

. She was reelected in 2009 and was MEP up until 2014. As from 30 May 2016, Laima Liucija Andrikienė replaced

Gabrielius Landsbergis Gabrielius Landsbergis (born 7 January 1982) is a Lithuanian politician and diplomat who served as Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 2020 until November 2024 in the Šimonytė Cabinet. A key figure in Lithuanian politics, Lan ...

(who stood down and took part in campaigning before

2016 Lithuanian parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 9 and 23 October 2016 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. 71 were elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituency u ...

) as an MEP for her third term. She served up until 2019. She was a Member of the

Committee on International Trade The Committee on International Trade (INTA) is a committee of the European Parliament. Its current chair, elected on 10 July 2019, is Bernd Lange.Sub-Committee on Security and Defense, Substitute Member of

Foreign Affairs Committee Foreign Affairs Committee may refer to: * Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development * Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade * Foreign Affairs Committee of t ...

, 1st Vice Chair of the Delegation to the EU-

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, EU-

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

, EU-

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

and EU-

Tajikistan Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...

Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and for relations with

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

and

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

and a Substitute Member of the Delegation for the relations with the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In 2018 she won the International Trade Award of the Parliament Magazine’s Annual MEP Awards. In

2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 11 and 25 October 2020 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. 71 were elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituenc ...

, Andrikienė was elected to the Seimas. She was confirmed Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in January 2022. Andrikienė started a 6-year term as one of 27 members of the

in November 2022.

Awards

* 1997

Ordre national du Mérite The (; ) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's establishment was twofold: to replace the large number of ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

(Grand Officier) * 2000 Independence Medal (Lithuania) * 2003 Medal “Ubi concordia ibi victoria” of the

Baltic Assembly The Baltic Assembly (BA) is a regional organisation that promotes intergovernmental cooperation between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It attempts to find a common position in relation to many international issues, including economic, political ...

* 2004

Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas is the Lithuanian Presidential Award which was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices. Foreign nationals may also be awarded this O ...

(Commander’s Cross) * 2007

Honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

Kingston University Kingston University London is a Public university, public research university located within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, in South London, South West London, England. Its roots go back to the Kingston Technical Institute, founded ...

* 2008 Award of Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists * 2012 Lietuvos kariuomenės kūrėjų savanorių medalis * 2014 Medal of Diplomacy,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

* 2014 Order of Honor,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

* 2018 MEP of the Year 2018 (international trade) – "The Parliament Magazine" * 2020

Orden de Isabel la Católica The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (; Abbr.: OYC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and the Order of Civil Merit (es ...

Kingdom of Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(Cruz de Oficial)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrikiene, Laima 1958 births Living people European Court of Auditors people Homeland Union MEPs MEPs for Lithuania 2004–2009 MEPs for Lithuania 2009–2014 MEPs for Lithuania 2014–2019 Women MEPs for Lithuania Ministers and ministries responsible for European affairs People from Druskininkai Government ministers of Lithuania Women government ministers of Lithuania Signatories of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania