Irena DegutienÄ—

Irena Degutienė ( born June 1, 1949 in Šiauliai) is a Lithuanian politician, deputy chairman of the Lithuanian Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament first president ( as a woman ), two-time prime minister.

Education and work

After high school she attended Druskininkai 1967-1968 first the Academy of Fine Arts of Kaunas. Subsequently, she studied medicine at the University of Vilnius, which she completed in 1974. After that she worked as a doctor in the cotton combine Alytus, before it was 1976-1994 Doctor at Red Cross Hospital of the University of Vilnius. Here, over the years followed training courses in the fields of anesthesia, resuscitation and gastroenterology.

Political career

After the independence of Lithuania on 11 March 1990 she was State Secretary in the Ministry of Health in 1994. 1996, was her choice to Members of Parliament ( Seimas ), where they representative of the conservative Homeland Union ( Tėvynės Sąjunga ) has since.

On November 27, 1996, she was appointed by Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius Minister for Social Affairs and Labour. Following the resignation of Vagnorius she was appointed on 4 May 1999 to incumbent Prime Minister by President Valdas Adamkus. As such, it took until May 18, the official business was, which she then handed to Rolandas Paksas.

As Paksas resigned again on 27 October 1999 after only five months in office, Degutienė was again acting Prime Minister. A week later she handed the office to Andrius Kubilius, in whose cabinet she remained 2000 Social and Labour Minister until October 26. Between 2000 and 2004 she was Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment of the Seimas. She is currently chairman of the faction of the Homeland Union in the Seimas. From November 2008 to September 2009 she was first deputy chairman, of 17 September 2009 15 November 2012 Chairman of the Lithuanian Seimas. Since November 16, 2012 she is Deputy Chairman of the Seimas.