Biography

Currently Director of Support Foundation of the Latvian National Library, a fund-raising non-profit organisation that supports public libraries of Latvia and the National Library in particular. Karina Pētersone has taken many responsible jobs in public administration for more than twenty-five years. A translator and literary researcher, also University lecturer she is involved in the state restoration process of the early nineties in the Baltic States. She becomes interpreter and private assistant of the first Head of State of Latvia, Anatolijs Gorbunovs, works for him in many important positions in the parliament and government, then in 1997 is herself elected to the Riga City Council, chairs Culture Committee. In 1998 is elected to the Parliament, is Minister of Culture in three governments 1998-2002, in 2006 she becomes Minister for Society Integration. Same year is re-elected to the Parliament, where she is Deputy Speaker, also co-chair of European Affairs Committee, deputy chair of her political group, a centre oriented Christian- liberal party LPP/LW. The party nominates her for 2007 Presidential elections. In 2011 the Government appoints her as Director of the Latvian Institute, a state agency for the promotion of the country. 2015-2017 she serves as Secretary General of the Saeima (National Parliament). Karina Petersone is author of many translations of British and American plays and novels, translations of several books (fiction), also socio-political publications, has Latvian and foreign merits and awards for her professional work. Apart from Latvian, also speaks fluent English and Russian, reads French. She has family, three grown up children.