Kaja Kallas
Kaja Kallas | |
---|---|
File:Kaja Kallas in 2016.jpg | |
Leader of the Reform Party | |
Assumed office 14 April 2018 | |
Preceded by | Hanno Pevkur |
Member of the European Parliament | |
In office 1 July 2014 – 5 September 2018 | |
Constituency | Estonia |
Member of the Estonian Parliament | |
In office 4 March 2011 – 1 July 2014 | |
Constituency | Tallinn |
Personal details | |
Born | Tallinn, Estonia | 18 June 1977
Political party | ![]() Reform Party ![]() Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
Children | 1 |
Alma mater | |
Website | kajakallas |
Kaja Kallas (born 18 June 1977) is an Estonian politician, Chairwoman of the Reform Party and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
She has previously worked as an attorney-at-law, specialised in European and Estonian competition law and been a Member of the Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu).
Early life and education
Kaja Kallas graduated from the University of Tartu in 1999 with BA in law. From 2007 she started her studies in the Estonian Business School and obtained an EMBA (Master of Business Administration) degree in economics in 2010.[1]
Professional career
Kallas has been a member of the Estonian Bar Association since 1999 and an attorney-at-law since 2002. As of 26 March 2011 she has been placed on inactive status as a member of the Estonian Bar Association. She has been a partner in law firm Luiga Mody Hääl Borenius and Tark & Co and worked as an executive coach in the Estonian Business School. She is also a member of the European Antitrust Alliance.[2]
In November 2018 Kallas launched a book "MEP. 4 years in the European Parliament", where she describes her life and work in Brussels in 2014-2018.
Political career
Member of the Estonian Parliament, 2010–2014
In 2010, Kallas decided to join the Estonian Reform Party. She ran for the Parliament of Estonia in 2011, receiving 7157 votes.[3] She was a member of the XII composition of the Parliament of Estonia and the Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee from 2011 to 2014.
Member of the European Parliament, 2014–2018
In the 2014 elections Kallas ran for the European Parliament and received 21 498 votes.[4]
In the European Parliament, Kallas served on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection She was a Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the EU–Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee as well as a member of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and Delegation for relations with the United States[5] .
In addition to her committee assignments, Kallas was a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Digital Agenda[6] and a Vice-Chair of the Youth Intergroup.[7]
During her time in Parliament, Kallas worked on the Digital Single Market strategy, energy and consumer policies, as well as on the relations with Ukraine. She particularly stood for the rights of SMEs and holds that the borders in the digital world prevent innovative companies from emerging. She is a proponent of innovation and frequently emphasises that regulations can not and must not hinder the technological revolution.[8]
In total, Kallas served as rapporteur for six reports: opinion on the so-called e-Privacy regulation,[9] Civil law rules on robotics[10] and on the Annual report on EU Competition Policy,[11] and on Delivering a New Deal for Energy Consumers,[12] legislation on Custom infringements and sanctions[13] and the own-initiatative report on the Digital Single Market.[14]
Return to national politics
On 13 December 2017, Chairman of the Reform Party Hanno Pevkur announced that he would not run for the chairmanship anymore in January 2018 and suggested that Kallas should run instead.[15] After considering the offer, Kallas announced on 15 December that she would accept the invitation to run for the chairmanship election.[16]
Personal life
Kaja Kallas is the daughter of Siim Kallas, the former Chairman of the Estonian Reform Party and the former Vice-President of the European Commission.
Other activities
- European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Member
- Women Economic Forum, adviser
- Model European Union Tallinn, patron
- European Liberal Youth (LYMEC), mentor
- European Young Leaders, member
- Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, MEP Ambassador
- MEP Library Lovers, ambassador
- European Internet Forum, political member
- European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources (EUFORES), member of the extended board
- Global Young Leaders, member
- Women Political Leaders, member
- European Entrepreneurship Education Network, MEP ambassador
References
- ^ "Kaja Kallas | LinkedIn".
- ^ "Biography". Kaja Kallase Blogi. Archived from the original on 2016-06-16.
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- ^ Members European Parliament Intergroup on the Digital Agenda.
- ^ "European Youth Forum". www.youthforum.org. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
- ^ "Kaja Kallas activities".
- ^ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fNONSGML%2bCOMPARL%2bPE-602.722%2b02%2bDOC%2bPDF%2bV0%2f%2fEN.
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(help) - ^ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2015/2103%28INL%29&l=en
- ^ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=COM%282014%290249&l=en
- ^ "Application error". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
- ^ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2013/0432%28COD%29&l=en
- ^ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=COM%282015%290192&l=en
- ^ "Pevkur not to run for Reform lead again, Kallas not announcing yet". ERR. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "Kaja Kallas to run for Reform Party chair". ERR. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- 1977 births
- Living people
- Estonian Reform Party politicians
- Estonian Reform Party MEPs
- MEPs for Estonia 2014–19
- Women MEPs for Estonia
- Members of the Riigikogu
- Estonian lawyers
- Estonian women lawyers
- 21st-century women politicians
- Women members of the Riigikogu
- Politicians from Tallinn
- University of Tartu alumni