Then: President of Latvia

Later: President, Club of Madrid

Vaira Vike-Freiberga was already the sixth (and first female) President of Latvia when she first came to Salzburg in 2001, having been elected in 1999. She completed her second term in office in 2007, during which time she was instrumental in achieving membership of both the European Union and NATO for her country. She then went on to be the President of the Club of Madrid, an independent organization of more than 90 former democratic statesmen, which seeks to strengthen democratic leadership and governance, especially in countries of transition.