Rihards Pīks

Rihards Pīks was a cinematographer, film director, the first elected director of the Riga Film Studio collective, Minister of Culture and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, a member of the Saeima and the European Parliament, and an entrepreneur.

Pīks has linked his life with cinema since early youth.

In 1965, the documentary film “Divi” (“Two”) that he shot received the gold medal at the then-prestigious Moscow Film Festival. Later Pīks turned to feature films. Since 1979 he has directed the films “Sitiens” (“The Blow”), “Ja nebūtu šī skuķa” (“If It Weren’t for This Girl”), “Šāviens mežā” (“A Shot in the Forest”), and “Dubultnieks” (“The Double”).

From 1987 to 1990 Pīks was director of the Riga Film Studio and general director of the association “Latvijas kino” (“Latvian Cinema”).

He took part in the Awakening (Atmoda) movement; in 1989 he was included on the list of members of the intelligentsia slated for isolation.

In 1995 Pīks stood as a candidate in the 6th Saeima elections but was not elected. When Minister of Culture Ojārs Spārītis resigned, Pīks took up the post in 1996.

He served as Minister of Culture in Andris Šķēle’s first and second governments representing the Latvian Farmers’ Union, as a member of the 7th and 8th Saeima from the People’s Party, as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Indulis Emsis’s Cabinet, and from 2004 to 2009 as a Member of the European Parliament.

In the subsequent government Pīks was again Minister of Culture.

In 1998 he signed the manifesto on the founding of the People’s Party (TP) and, after the party was established, became a member of its board.

In 1998 TP candidate Pīks was elected to the 7th Saeima, where he served on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

In 1999 TP named Pīks as one of five party candidates for the office of President. Pīks was also elected to the 8th Saeima.

In 2003 the Saeima nominated him as an observer in the European Parliament.

He later represented the party Latvijas attīstībai (For Latvia’s Development), where he was elected to the board and led the working group “Aizsardzība” (“Defence”).