Siim Kallas
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Siim Kallas (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈsiːm ˈkɑlːɑs]; born 2 October 1948) is an Estonian politician, former Prime Minister of Estonia, and former European Commissioner. He served as the European Commissioner for Transport between 2010 and 2014. Before that he was the European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud between 2004 and 2009. In both Barroso Commissions he was also a Vice-President. He was twice appointed the Acting Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro in Olli Rehn's stead, from 19 April 2014 to 25 May 2014 while he was on electoral campaign leave for the 2014 elections to the European Parliament and from 1 July 2014 to 16 July 2014 after he took up his seat.[1][2]
Prior to his tenure as a European Commissioner, Kallas was the Prime Minister of Estonia, Estonian Minister of Finance, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, a member of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union and a member of the Riigikogu. Kallas is a member and former leader of the free-market liberal Estonian Reform Party and a former vice-president of Liberal International.
After leaving the European Commission, Kallas ran in the Estonian presidential election in 2016, but was not elected. In October 2017, he started as the municipal mayor of Viimsi Parish.[3]
Education
- 1966–1969, 1972–1974 Budget and Finance, University of Tartu, specialist
- (1969–1972 Junior Sergeant, Soviet Armed Forces Corps of Signals)
- 1974–1977 Economics of environmental protection, University of Tartu, Candidate of Sciences
Career
- 1969–1972 : Signals officer in Soviet Army
- 1975–1979: Specialist at the Finance Ministry Planning Committee of the Estonian SSR
- 1979–1986: Joint Secretary of the Central Authority of the Savings Banks of the Estonian SSR.
- 1986–1989: Deputy chief editor of the Communist Party of Estonia newspaper Rahva Hääl
- 1989–1991: Chairman of the Central Union of the Estonian Trade Unions
- 1989–1991: Member of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union
- 1991–1995: President of the Bank of Estonia
- 1995–2004: Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia
- 1995–1996: Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1996: Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
- 1999–2002: Minister of Finance
- 2002–2003: Prime minister
- 2004–2004: EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, serving with Joaquín Almunia
- 2004–2010: EU Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud and Vice-president of the Commission
- 2010–2014: EU Commissioner for Transport and Vice-president of the Commission
- 2017–2019: Municipal mayor of Viimsi.
Personal life
Kallas' grandfather was Eduard Alver, one of the founders of the Republic of Estonia on 24 February 1918, and the Commander of the Estonian Defence League during the Estonian War of Independence, and the first chief of the Estonian Police from 1918 to 24 May 1919.[4] He speaks Estonian, English, Russian, Finnish, and German. Kallas is of Estonian and distant Baltic German ancestry. Kallas is married to doctor Kristi Kallas. He has one son and one daughter; his daughter Kaja Kallas is the current leader of the Reform party and Prime Minister of Estonia since 2021.[5] During the Soviet deportations from Estonia his wife Kristi Kallas, 6 months old at the time, was deported to Siberia with her mother and grandmother in a cattle car and lived there until she was 10 years old.[6]
Controversy
Kallas' inability to address some politically controversial issues such as corruption caused him to renounce his candidacy for the office of Prime Minister of Estonia in 2014.[7][8]
References
- ^ "Six commissioners head for EU election campaign trail". EUobserver.
- ^ "KUNA : Barroso announces caretaker replacements following resignation of 4 EU Commissioners – Politics – 01/07/2014". kuna.net.kw.
- ^ "Interview: Siim Kallas on ambitions, Estonian politics, and EU presidency". ERR. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ Even further from Russia: what is known about the new head of the Estonian government, Europeeska Pravda, 26 January 2021
- ^ "Estonia to get first female prime minister | DW | 24.01.2021".
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Even further from Russia: what is known about the new head of the Estonian government, Europeeska Pravda (26 January 2021)
- ^ ERR. "UUDISED. Siim Kallas loobus kandideerimast peaministriks. - ERR - Digihoidla". arhiiv.err.ee.
- ^ "Kallas loobus peaministriks pürgimast". Delfi.
External links
- Siim Kallas, Official Media Gallery
- Official website
- KALLAS Siim International Who's Who
- European Parliament Answers to Commissioner Designate M. Kallas
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- 1948 births
- Estonian European Commissioners
- Estonian people of Baltic German descent
- Estonian Reform Party politicians
- Government ministers of Estonia
- Living people
- Members of the Riigikogu, 1995–1999
- Members of the Riigikogu, 1999–2003
- Members of the Riigikogu, 2019–2023
- Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
- Finance ministers of Estonia
- Politicians from Tallinn
- Prime Ministers of Estonia
- Chairmen of the Bank of Estonia
- Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 1st Class
- Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 2nd Class
- Resigned Communist Party of the Soviet Union members
- University of Tartu alumni
- Leaders of political parties in Estonia
- Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 20th-century Estonian politicians
- 21st-century Estonian politicians
- Members of the Riigikogu, 2003–2007