Ausra Maldeikiene
LithuaniaAusrine Maldeikiene
Ausrine Maldeikiene is a prominent Lithuanian economist, politician, and academic. She served as a member of the Lithuanian Parliament (2016-2019) and the European Parliament (2019-present).
Education
Maldeikiene graduated from Vilnius Antanas Venclova Gymnasium (now Vytautas the Great Gymnasium) in 1976. She went on to study at Vilnius State University Vincas Kapsukas Faculty of Economics, later transferring to the Moscow State University Faculty of Economics, from which she graduated in 1982 with a degree in "Economics, Teacher of Political Economy." She earned a doctorate degree (in Sociology) from the Institute of Philosophy, Sociology, and Law of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in 1987.
Academia
Maldeikiene has a long and distinguished academic career. From 1982 to 1984, she taught at Vilnius State University and the Lithuanian Academy of Agriculture. She was also a research fellow at Moscow State University from 1984 to 1987.
Professional Career
Maldeikiene has worked in various sectors throughout her career. From 1987, she lectured at the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy (now Veterinary Academy of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences). In 1990, she became a journalist for the newspaper "Lietuvos rytas." From 1993 to 1997, she was the head of the PR department at Vilnius SEB bankas. She was the chief editor of business news for the Baltic News Service from 1997 to 2000.
Publications and Awards
Maldeikiene is a prolific writer and has authored numerous books on economics, finance, and business. She has also translated eight foreign-language works into Lithuanian. Her book "The Economics of Lies" became a bestseller in Lithuania. She received the Lithuanian National Prize for Literature and Arts in 2018.
Politics
Maldeikiene has been active in politics as a member of various parties. She ran for the European Parliament in 2009 as a member of the Civic Democratic Party. She was elected to the Vilnius City Council in 2015 and to the Lithuanian Parliament in 2016. She ran for president in 2019 but withdrew her candidacy.
Personal Life
Maldeikiene is a Catholic. She was married to Eugenijus Maldeikis, a former Minister of Economy and member of the Lithuanian Parliament, the European Parliament, and the Vilnius City Council. They have two sons, Matas (1980) and Mikolas (1987).
