Laila Įlbauskienė

**Laila Įlbauskienė** (née **Deimaskaitė**; born 27 March 1956) is a Levonian politician and economist who has served as president of Levonia since 2012, being the first woman to serve in the position. An independent politician, Įlbauskienė had previously represented Kedainlantai constituency in the Daimas from 2010 until 2012, and served as finance minister in the Letukas cabinet from 2006 until 2009, being the first female finance minister in Levonia.

Born in Velnas to a middle-class family, Įlbauskienė graduated from secondary school in 1974, afterwards enrolling in the University of Velnas. She graduated with a degree in finance in 1977, and subsequently moved to Orgland to enroll in Foxford University, receiving an MBA degree in 1979. Wishing to further her education, she began a doctoral program at Foxford, but later transferred her studies to Labonne University, and completed her doctoral degree in business and finance in 1985. After one year of working as a financial analyst in Dollchester, Įlbauskienė returned to Levonia in 1986, where she began working in the finance sector at various corporations. In 1998, she began a professorship at the University of Velnas, teaching advanced courses on finance, and was named departmental director of the Department of Finance in 2004.

In 2006, Įlbauskienė was nominated by Rapolas Letukas to serve as Minister of Finance in his cabinet, becoming the first woman to serve in the position. Her tenure as finance minister saw a wide increase in her name recognition and popularity, with many viewing her as a potential future presidential candidate. Įlbauskienė served in the position until 2009, when she tendered her resignation; subsequently, she returned to her teaching career, while also taking up positions on the boards of directors for a number of Levonian corporations, including the Bank of Levonia. In 2010, Įlbauskienė announced that she would be running as an independent candidate for the Kedainlantai constituency in the 2010 parliamentary election. She went on to win her constituency's election after receiving 50.8% of the vote in the first round, being one of only three nationwide constituencies that did not have to go to a second round of voting. As an independent legislator in the Daimas, Įlbauskienė did not caucus with the governing majority, but did support a number of policies from the Levonian Unionist Party.

In 2012, Įlbauskienė announced that she would be running in the 2012 presidential election as an independent candidate. After amassing enough petition signatures, her campaign was granted nationwide ballot access. Polling predicted a close race betweeen three candidates: Įlbauskienė, Jūta Klemienė (running on the Unionist Party line), and Karolis Senkauskas (running on a dual Agrarian Party-Labor Party line). In the first round, Įlbauskienė placed second, behind Senkauskas and ahead of Klemienė. As no candidate received a majority, Įlbauskienė and Senkauskas advanced to a run-off. Shortly before the run-off, Įlbauskienė was endorsed by Klemienė and the Unionist Party, which saw polling begin to lean towards her favor. She later defeated Senkauskas in the second round, receiving 58.5% of the vote, and was elected as the first female president of Levonia. She took office as president on 10 October 2012. Įlbauskienė later easily won reelection in the 2017 presidential election, receiving 55.6% of the vote in the first round.

An independent politician, Įlbauskienė has neglected to attach labels to her political identity, although outside commenters have referred to her as a liberal, liberal conservative, and conservative liberal. She has supported liberal economic policies, while also spearheading some liberal social policies as well, such as pushing for the legalization of same-sex civil unions.

## Early life and education

Įlbauskienė was born on 27 March 1956 in Velnas to parents Benediktas Deimaskas (1929–2006) and Paulina Deimaskienė (née *Lubytė*; born 1931). When she was six months old, the family moved into a three-bedroom house in the Žaglantai district of Velnas, where she was raised. Benediktas worked in banking, while Paulina was a homemaker. Įlbauskienė grew up in a middle-class family as the elder of two children; her younger brother is Edgaras (born 1959).

Įlbauskienė began her education in 1962, attending a local, public primary school in Žaglantai. While in primary school, Įlbauskienė discovered a love for mathematics, and emerged as a mathematics prodigy. After graduating from primary school in 1970, Įlbauskienė enrolled in a gymnasium in Velnas, where she was a gifted student who was exceptionally talented in mathematics. Despite initial aspirations to become an astronaut or pursue a STEM field, Įlbauskienė graduated from school in 1974, and ultimately decided to study business and finance in the Faculty of Business at the University of Velnas. She graduated with her finance degree in 1977.

After completing her bachelor's degree, Įlbauskienė enrolled in an MBA program at Foxford University, graduating in 1979. She subsequently opted to begin a doctoral program in business and finance at Foxford, but after her faculty advisor was hired at Labonne University in 1980, she transferred with him to the Labonne, graduating with her doctorate in 1985. Her doctoral research was focused on the effect of crises on global markets.

## Finance career

Shortly after graduating with her doctoral degree in 1985, Įlbauskienė moved to Dollchester and was hired as a financial analyst on the Dollchester Stock Exchange. Unsatisfied with the work, she quit her job after only one year and returned to Levonia, settling in Velnas.

After returning to Levonia, Įlbauskienė was hired as a financial analyst at the Bank of Levonia. She left the position in 1988, and was hired in the finance department of Levonian lumber company Luvex, working as a senior director. She left Luvex in 1991, and joined the agricultural company Zuma as a senior financial director. In 1996, she became a vice president at Zuma, remaining within the finance sector. In 1999, she resigned from the position at Zuma, and left the finance industry.

In 2009, after temporarily leaving her career in government, Įlbauskienė returned to finance and business as a member of the board of directors for a number of companies, including her former employer the Bank of Levonia. It was later reported that Įlbauskienė earned more than $1.5 million in 2009 and 2010 due to her salary as a board member for various corporations and her compensation for various paid speaking engagements.

## Teaching career

In 1998, Įlbauskienė was hired as an adjunct professor of finance in the Department of Finance at the Faculty of Business of the University of Velnas. She taught one course on the ethics of finance in both the fall 1998 and spring 1999 semesters, before leaving her full-time finance career during the summer of 1999 to begin teaching full-time at the university.

After becoming a full-time professor, Įlbauskienė began teaching advanced finance courses, primarily for graduate students pursuing MBA degrees. In 2002, she won the departmental award for teacher of the year, and later was one of ten university professors honored by the Ministry of Education for excellence in teaching. In 2004, Įlbauskienė became the departmental director for the Department of Finance, being tasked with representing the department within the Faculty of Business and Finance, and organizing degree programs for students.

Įlbauskienė took a leave of absence from her teaching career in 2006, after entering government. She returned to teaching in 2009, and taught full-time for the fall 2009 semester and part-time for the spring 2010 semester, before going on an indefinite leave of absence following her return to government in 2010.

## Political career

### Finance minister

Įlbauskienė began her career in government in 2006, after she was nominated by Rapolas Letukas to serve as Minister of Finance in his cabinet. She was one of five candidates interviewed for the position, and was said to have won Letukas over due to her "sharp wit" and intelligence. Upon her nomination, Įlbauskienė became the first woman to ever serve in the position. She took office on 1 August 2006.

Commonly considered one of the most important cabinet positions, Įlbauskienė began to receive a widespread increase in name recognition and popularity during her tenure, and was considered to be a potential future presidential candidate. In the role, she supported financially liberal policies that saw a lowering of taxes and greater reliance on the free markets. Nevertheless, Įlbauskienė still pledged to support policies that aided lower-income individuals and the elderly, even if that resulted in higher taxes.

After serving in the position for nearly three years, Įlbauskienė tendered her resignation as finance minister in July 2009. She was subsequently replaced by Vazys Jursys.

### Member of the Daimas

In March 2010, Įlbauskienė announced that she would be returning to politics to stand as an independent candidate for the Kedainlantai constituency in the 2010 parliamentary elections. Previously a stronghold for the Levonian Unionist Party, the constituency was seen as vulnerable for a challenger due to the unpopularity of and controversies surrounding its incumbent representative Rikardas Laimantavičius.

A month after her campaign announcement, the Unionist Party announced that it would be pulling Laimantavičius from the constituency's election and endorsed Įlbauskienė's campaign. She was reportedly offered by the party to run on their party line instead of as an independent, but she declined the offer. Įlbauskienė went on to receive 50.8% of the vote in the first round of the election, winning the constituency outright and not needing to advance to a second round; Įlbauskienė was one of only three constituency candidates nationwide that did not have to advance to a second round.

Įlbauskienė took her seat in the Daimas on 15 June 2010, where she legislated as an independent. Despite often supporting policies from the Unionist Party and Liberal Movement, Įlbauskienė refused to caucus with them and instead caucused alone as an independent. As an independent politician, she also refused to be included in the governing majority. Following her inauguration as president, Įlbauskienė resigned her seat in the Daimas on 10 October 2012, and was replaced by her deputy Petras Salaševičius.

### President

#### First term (2012–17)

In June 2012, Įlbauskienė announced that she would run as an independent candidate in the 2012 presidential election. She had long been considered by the media as a likely presidential candidate, and her election to parliament in 2010 was seen as "preparation" for a future presidential campaign. During her presidential campaign, Įlbauskienė ran on a liberal platform, advocating for lower taxes, stronger emphasis on education, and social liberalism. In July 2012, she received enough signatures to be granted nationwide ballot access in the election.

Polling showed that Įlbauskienė was running in a close election with Jūta Klemienė of the Levonian Unionist Party and Karolis Senkauskas, who was running on a dual line with the Agrarian Party and Labor Party. As Įlbauskienė and Klemienė were splitting the liberal and center-right share of the vote, Senkauskas was predicted to win the first round of the election, although not with a majority. The first round was held on 22 September 2012, where Įlbauskienė placed second, behind Senkauskas, but ahead of Klemienė. Following the results, Klemienė and the Unionist Party endorsed Įlbauskienė's campaign, which helped her overtake Senkauskas in the polls decisively. The second round was held on 7 October, and saw Įlbauskienė winning with 58.5% of the vote. Following her victory, she was inaugurated as the first female president of Levonia on 10 October.

As president, Įlbauskienė governed as a liberal, supporting both financially and socially liberal policies. Įlbauskienė advocated for lowering taxes, while also preserving government programs for the impoverished and the elderly, while she also spearheaded movements that legalized same-sex civil unions and abortion in Levonia.

#### Second term (2017–present)

Įlbauskienė launched her reelection campaign in June 2017, once again intending to stand in the election as an independent. In support of Įlbauskienė's presidency, the Unionist Party and Liberal Movement both opted not to field candidates, instead endorsing her campaign. Polling predicted a decisive victory for Įlbauskienė, with her only close competitor being Karolis Senkauskas, once again running on a dual line for the Agrarian and Labor parties. The first round of the election was held on 23 September 2017, where Įlbauskienė won 55.6% of the vote, winning reelection outright and not needing to advance to a second round.

Following her reelection, Įlbauskienė continued her governance as a liberal, while also moving to the center-right on issues such as immigration. She supported policies that limited immigration to Levonia, while also supporting a bill that required immigrants to pass a Levonian language examination in order to naturalize as citizens. Įlbauskienė pushed for continued lower taxes, while also publicly supporting the legalization of medical marijuana usage.

## Personal life

Įlbauskienė began a relationship with Levonian investment banker Henrikas Įlbauskas in 1986. They became engaged in 1988, and later married the following year. Įlbauskienė and Įlbauskas have one daughter together: Stefanija Įlbauskaitė (born 1993). The family owned a four-bedroom house in the Žaglantai district of Velnas, until moving into the Presidential Palace in Velnas Old Town in 2012. Įlbauskienė's mother additionally resides with them in the Presidential Palace.

Įlbauskienė is fluent in Levonian and Ditrovian, while she is additionally proficient in Maldonian and Zatranian. Įlbauskienė has frequently declined to comment on her religious beliefs, stating that they are "personal" to her.