Ināra Mūrniece has served as the defense minister of the Republic of Latvia since December 14, 2022. Prior to that, she was the speaker of the Saeima—the unicameral Latvian parliament—beginning in 2014. As a member of parliament since 2011, she has chaired the Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs and the National Security Committee, and was a member of the National Upbringing Committee and the Social Cohesion Committee. She has also served as a member of National Security Council of Latvia. Mūrniece began her career as a journalist at Latvia’s largest daily newspaper, Latvijas Avīze, where she worked predominantly on issues of national defense and security. She holds a bachelor’s degree in translation from the School of Economics and Culture and a qualification from the University of Latvia.