Tatjana Ždanoka
Latvian politician / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tatjana Ždanoka[1] (Russian: Татья́на Арка́дьевна Ждано́к, Tatyana Arkadyevna Zhdanok; born 8 May 1950) is a Latvian politician and a Member of the European Parliament. She is co-chairwoman of the Latvian Russian Union and its predecessor parties (Equal Rights and For Human Rights in a United Latvia) since 1993. In 2024 she was accused of being a Russian intelligence agent.[2][3][4]
Tatjana Ždanoka | |
---|---|
Member of the European Parliament | |
Assumed office 2 July 2019 | |
Constituency | Latvia |
In office 20 July 2004 – 4 March 2018 | |
Constituency | Latvia |
Member of the Supreme Council of Latvia | |
In office 3 May 1990 – 6 July 1993 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Tatjana Hesina (1950-05-08) 8 May 1950 (age 73) Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union (now Latvia) |
Citizenship | USSR (1950–1991) Stateless (1991–1996) Latvia (since 1996) |
Political party | LKS (2014–present) |
Other political affiliations | LKP (1971–1991) ER (1993–2007) ForHRUL (2007–2014) |
Spouse |
Aleksandr Zhdanok
(m. 1975; div. 1988) |
Alma mater | Latvian State University |
Occupation | Politician • Mathematician |
Degree | Doctor of mathematics |
Awards | |
From 1988 to 1989 she was one of the leaders of the Interfront, a political front organization opposing Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union and rapid market reforms. She remained active in the Communist Party of Latvia after January 1991, when the party leadership called for a coup against the government of the Latvian SSR (in opposition to a restoration of independence). In 1997, Ždanoka was elected to Riga municipal council, but was deprived of the mandate in the Council in 1999 and is prohibited from further nomination for election to the Latvian Parliament or local councils under Latvian law due to her former allegiance with the Communist Party after January 1991. Together with Alfrēds Rubiks, she is in the peculiar position of being restricted to European Parliament elections only.[5] Government documents from 2024 linked her to the Russian FSB.[2][6]