Gitanas Nausėda is a Lithuanian economist, politician and banker, having worked as the Director of Monetary Policy at the Bank of Lithuania from 1996 until 2000, and chief economist to the chairman of SEB bankas from 2008 until 2018. Nausėda is serving as the current President of Lithuania.
Having completed his studies, from 1992 to 1993 he worked for the Research Institute for Economics and Privatization. From 1993 to 1994 he worked for the Lithuanian Competition Council as a head of the Financial Markets Department. From 1994 to 2000 he worked at the Bank of Lithuania, initially in the department regulating the commercial banks and later as a director of the Monetary Policy Department. From 2000 to 2008 he was a chief economist and adviser to the chairman of AB Vilniaus Bankas. From 2008 to 2018 he was the financial analyst as well as chief adviser and later the chief economist for the SEB bankas president. In 2004, he supported the election campaign of the former Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus.
Presidency (2019–present)
On 17 September 2018, Nausėda announced his candidacy for the 2019 Lithuanian presidential election, which he won in the second round on 26 May 2019. He was officially inaugurated on 12 July. On 16 July 4 days after his inauguration, he visited Warsaw, Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda in his first foreign visit as President. During the visit, there were calls for him to establish a more personal relationship with the country. He also rejected any attempt by European Union leaders to sanction Poland for its actions in relation to the Supreme Court of Poland and the rest of the country's judiciary. Nausėda presented acting Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis's candidacy to continue his duties on 18 July. By the time he had spent a month in office, Nausėda was considered to be the most trusted politician in Lithuania according to polls conducted by the Lithuanian National Radio and Television. During a meeting in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in August, Nausėda urged her to maintain sanctions against Russia. In an interview with LRT on 14 August, he reiterated past positions that a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be "pointless" due to the fact that Lithuania sees "the true danger" and "risks" of being on the border with Russia. On 22 November, Nausėda and Duda, as well as the First Lady of PolandAgata Kornhauser-Duda participated in the state funeral of commanders and participants in the 1863–1864 uprising against Tsarist rule in Vilnius. During his visit to Vilnius, Duda highlighted the Central European nations' unity importance for their independence. In January 2020, Nausėda joined Duda in pulling out of 5th World Holocaust Forum, who criticized the event for giving the speaking slot to Russian president Putin, who has himself criticized Poland's WWII history by engaging in a historical revisionist campaign.
International trips as President
Nausėda has welcomed many foreign leaders and dignitaries to Lithuania since taking office, including Latvian PresidentEgils Levits, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Governor-General Julie Payette.
Personal life
Nausėda's father, Antanas Nausėda, is a survivor of Stutthof concentration camp. In 1990, he married Diana Nausėdienė. They have two daughters. In addition to his native Lithuanian, Gitanas Nausėda speaks English, German and Russian.
