Ingmārs Līdaka

Ingmārs Līdaka is a Latvian politician and zoologist who currently serves as a member of the Saeima, the national parliament of Latvia. Before entering politics, he worked as a public relations specialist at the Riga Zoo. He began his political career in 1995 with his election to the Riga City Council. Līdaka is well-known in Latvia for a 2009 parliamentary incident where he famously shouted "Aizver muti!" (shut your mouth!) during a debate, a phrase that became a cultural phenomenon. He has also authored a book titled "Zoodārzs manā pagalmā" (The zoo in my backyard) and briefly served as the head of the Riga Zoo after resigning from parliament in 2018, before returning to the 14th Saeima.