Latgale’s most renowned politician is Francis Trasuns (1864-1926), who led the movement for the reunification of Latgale with Vidzeme and Kurzeme in 1917-1918. While working in the shadows of his famous uncle, Jezups Trasuns (1898-1978), a four-time MP in the Latvian Saeima, established his own reputation as a progressive from Latgale and aligned himself with social-democratic issues. He earned a short prison term under Kārlis Ulmanis' regime, and 15 years in Siberia during Soviet occupation after refusing to become a puppet minister in the 1940 occupation government.
