Enele Sopoaga

Enele Sosene Sopoaga PC (born 10 February 1956) is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019.

The Right Honourable
Enele Sopoaga
MP
12th Prime Minister of Tuvalu
In office
1 August 2013  19 September 2019
MonarchElizabeth II
GovernorsGeneral
Deputy
  • Vete Sakaio
  • Maatia Toafa
Preceded byWilly Telavi
Succeeded byKausea Natano
Foreign Minister
In office
29 September 2010  24 December 2010
Preceded byApisai Ielemia
Succeeded byApisai Ielemia
Member of Parliament
for Nukufetau
Assumed office
16 September 2010
Serving with Lotoala Metia then Elisala Pita
Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations
In office
3 July 2001  19 December 2006
Prime Minister
Secretary GeneralKofi Annan
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byAfelee F. Pita
Personal details
Born (1956-02-10) 10 February 1956
Political partyIndependent
SpouseSalilo Enele
Alma materUniversity of Oxford certificate
University of Sussex

Sopoaga was elected to Parliament in the 2010 general election. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Environment and Labour in Prime Minister Maatia Toafa's short-lived government from September to December 2010. Following an unsuccessful bid for the premiership in December 2010 (with Toafa's support), he became leader of the Opposition to prime minister Willy Telavi's government. He became caretaker prime minister on 1 August 2013 following Telavi's removal by the Governor General, in the context of a political crisis. A day later, on 2 August 2013, the opposition successfully voted out Telavi's government in a no confidence vote. Following this, a ballot was held to elect the new prime minister of Tuvalu and Sopoaga won with 8 votes to 4. He was sworn in on 5 August 2013, and created his ministry the same day.

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