Siim Kallas

Siim Kallas
Kallas in 2014
European Commissioner for Transport
In office 9 February 2010 – 1 November 2014
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Antonio Tajani
Succeeded by	Violeta Bulc
European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud
In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Neil Kinnock(Administrative Reform)
Succeeded by	Maroš Šefčovič(Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration) Algirdas Šemeta(Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud)
European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs
In office 1 May 2004 – 22 November 2004 Served withJoaquín Almunia
President	Romano Prodi
Preceded by	Pedro Solbes
Succeeded by	Joaquín Almunia
14thPrime Minister of Estonia
In office 28 January 2002 – 10 April 2003
President	Arnold Rüütel
Preceded by	Mart Laar
Succeeded by	Juhan Parts
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 9 November 1995 – 21 November 1996
Prime Minister	Tiit Vähi
Preceded by	Riivo Sinijärv
Succeeded by	Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Member of theRiigikogu
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 March 2019
Personal details
Born	(1948-10-02)2 October 1948 Tallinn,Estonia
Political party	Estonian Reform Party(since 1994)
Other political affiliations	Communist Party of the Soviet Union(until 1991)
Spouse	Kristi Kallas
Children	2, includingKaja
Relatives	Eduard Alver(grandfather)
Alma mater	University of Tartu

Siim Kallas(Estonian pronunciation:[ˈsiːmˈkɑlːɑs];born 2 October 1948) is anEstonianpolitician, formerPrime Minister of Estonia,and formerEuropean Commissioner.

From 1972-90 Kallas was a member of the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union). In 1987, Kallas was one of the authors of the IME plan for self-managing Estonia withTiit Made,Edgar SavisaarandMikk Titma.The plan proposed to make Estonia economically independent from the Soviet Union – adopting a market economy and establishing Estonia’s own currency and tax system.Kallas was elected a member of theCongress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Unionin the1989 Soviet Union legislative election,the first partially free elections in Soviet Union.

After Estonia restored its independence in 1991, Kallas was appointed the President of theBank of Estonia,at the time only having 11 employees. Within a year coherent structure of the bank was set up and on 20 June 1992, Estonia's own currencyKroonwas back in circulation after being removed from circulation by the Soviets on 25 March 1941.

Kallas entered politics in 1994 as one of the founders of liberalEstonian Reform Party.The 1995 electionswere successful for the new party. Kallas served as theminister of foreign affairsfrom 1995 to 1996. He later served also as theminister of financefrom 1999 to 2002 and thePrime minisiterfrom 2002 to 2003.

He served as theEuropean Commissioner for Transportbetween 2010 and 2014. Before that he was the European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud between 2004 and 2009. In bothBarroso Commissionshe was also aVice-President.He was twice appointed theActing Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the EuroinOlli Rehn's stead, from 19 April 2014 to 25 May 2014 while he was on electoral campaign leave for the2014 electionsto theEuropean Parliamentand from 1 July 2014 to 16 July 2014 after he took up his seat.

After leaving the European Commission, Kallas ran in the Estonianpresidential electionin 2016, but was not elected. In October 2017, he started as the municipal mayor ofViimsi Parish.His daughter,Kaja Kallas,is the current prime minister of Estonia.

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 theEstonian SSR
• 1979–1986: Joint Secretary of the Central Authority of the Savings Banks of theEstonian SSR.
• 1986–1989: Deputy chief editor of theCommunist Party of EstonianewspaperRahva Hääl
• 1989–1991: Chairman of theCentral Union of the Estonian Trade Unions
• 1989–1991: Member of theCongress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union
• 1991–1995: President of theBank of Estonia
• 1995–2004: Member ofthe 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-Fraudand Vice-president of the Commission
• 2010–2014:EU Commissioner for Transportand Vice-president of the Commission
• 2017–2019: Municipal mayor ofViimsi.
• 2019-today: Member of theRiigikogu.

Personal life

Siim Kallas at the electromobility summit 2013 in Berlin

Kallas' grandfather wasEduard Alver,one of the founders of theRepublic of Estoniaon 24 February 1918, and the Commander of theEstonian Defence Leagueduring theEstonian War of Independence,and the first chief of theEstonian Policefrom 1918 to 24 May 1919.He speaks Estonian, English, Russian, Finnish, and German. Kallas is of Estonian and distantBaltic Germanancestry.

Kallas is married to doctor Kristi Kallas, who, during theSoviet deportations from Estonia,at age six months, was deported toSiberiawith her mother and grandmother in a cattle car and lived there until she was 10 years old.

He has one son and one daughter. His daughterKaja Kallasis the current leader of the Reform party and Prime Minister of Estonia since 2021.

External links

• Siim Kallas, Official Media Gallery
• Official website
• KALLAS SiimInternational Who's Who
• European Parliament Answers to Commissioner Designate M. Kallas