Editing Siim Kallas

{{Short description|Estonian politician (born 1948)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Siim Kallas
| image               = Siim Kallas, arvamusfestival 2014 (2) (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Kallas in 2014
| image_upright       = 1
| office              = [[European Commissioner for Transport]]
| president           = [[José Manuel Barroso]]
| term_start          = 9 February 2010
| term_end            = 1 November 2014
| predecessor         = [[Antonio Tajani]]
| successor           = [[Violeta Bulc]]
| office1             = [[List of European Commission portfolios#Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud|European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud]]
| president1          = [[José Manuel Barroso]]
| term_start1         = 22 November 2004
| term_end1           = 9 February 2010
| predecessor1        = [[Neil Kinnock]] (Administrative Reform)
| successor1          = [[Maroš Šefčovič]] ([[European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud#Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration|Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration]])<br />[[Algirdas Šemeta]] ([[European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud|Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud]])
| office2             = [[European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs|European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs]]
| president2          = [[Romano Prodi]]
| term_start2         = 1 May 2004
| term_end2           = 22 November 2004<br />Served with [[Joaquín Almunia]]
| predecessor2        = [[Pedro Solbes]]
| successor2          = [[Joaquín Almunia]]
| office3             = 14th [[Prime Minister of Estonia]]
| president3          = [[Arnold Rüütel]]
| term_start3         = 28 January 2002
| term_end3           = 10 April 2003
| predecessor3        = [[Mart Laar]]
| successor3          = [[Juhan Parts]]
| office4             = [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Estonia)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]]
| primeminister4      = [[Tiit Vähi]]
| term_start4         = 9 November 1995
| term_end4           = 21 November 1996
| predecessor4        = [[Riivo Sinijärv]]
| successor4          = [[Toomas Hendrik Ilves]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1948|10|2}}
| birth_place         = [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]]
| spouse              = Kristi Kallas
| children            = 2, including [[Kaja Kallas|Kaja]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Estonian Reform Party|Reform]] (since 1994)
| alma_mater          = [[University of Tartu]]
| office5             = Member of the [[Riigikogu]]
| term_start5         = 3 March 2019
| otherparty          = [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] (until 1991)
| relatives           = [[Eduard Alver]] (grandfather)
| term_end5           = 7 September 2024
| module              = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Siim Kallas voice.ogg|title=Siim Kallas's voice|type=speech|description=Kallas announcing Estonia's intention to pursue European Union candidate status<br/>Recorded 4 December 1995}}
}}
'''Siim Kallas''' ({{IPA|et|ˈsiːːm ˈkɑlːɑs}}; born 2 October 1948) is an Estonian former politician, having served as [[Prime Minister of Estonia]] and [[European Commission]]er.<ref>{{cite web|title=The liberal communist|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/the-liberal-communist/|publisher=Politico|access-date=25 August 2023}}</ref>

From 1972-90 Kallas was a member of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|CPSU]] ([[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]]). In 1987, Kallas was one of the authors of the IME plan for self-managing Estonia with [[Tiit Made]], [[Edgar Savisaar]] and [[Mikk 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.<ref name="World">{{cite web |title=Top 12 most outstanding Estonian statespeople |url=https://estonianworld.com/people/top-12-most-outstanding-estonian-statespeople/ |access-date=25 June 2024}}</ref> Kallas was elected a member of the [[Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union]] in the [[1989 Soviet Union legislative election]], the first partially free elections in the Soviet Union. 

After Estonia restored its independence in 1991, Kallas was appointed the President of the [[Bank of Estonia]], which at the time had only 11 employees. Within a year a coherent structure of the bank was set up and on 20 June 1992, Estonia's own currency [[Estonian kroon|Kroon]] was back in circulation after being removed from circulation by the Soviets on 25 March 1941.<ref name="World" />

Kallas entered politics in 1994 as one of the founders of liberal [[Estonian Reform Party]]. [[1995 Estonian parliamentary election|The 1995 elections]] were successful for the new party. Kallas served as the [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Estonia)|minister of foreign affairs]] from 1995 to 1996. He later served also as the [[Minister of Finance (Estonia)|minister of finance]] from 1999 to 2002 and the [[Prime Minister of Estonia|Prime Minister]] from 2002 to 2003.

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 Commission]]s he was also a [[Vice-President of the European Commission|Vice-President]]. He was twice appointed the [[European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro|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 European Parliament election in Estonia|2014 elections]] to the [[European Parliament]] and from 1 July 2014 to 16 July 2014 after he took up his seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://euobserver.com/news/123733|title=Six commissioners head for EU election campaign trail|work=EUobserver|date=3 April 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2385629&language=en|title=KUNA : Barroso announces caretaker replacements following resignation of 4 EU Commissioners – Politics – 01/07/2014|work=kuna.net.kw}}</ref>

After leaving the European Commission, Kallas ran in the Estonian [[2016 Estonian presidential election|presidential election]] in 2016, but was not elected. In October 2017, he started as the municipal mayor of [[Viimsi Parish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.err.ee/647659/interview-siim-kallas-on-ambitions-estonian-politics-and-eu-presidency|title=Interview: Siim Kallas on ambitions, Estonian politics, and EU presidency|publisher=ERR|date=9 December 2017|access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref> In 2019 he was elected member of the [[Riigikogu]], a post he was also elected to in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elected members of the Riigikogu |url=https://rk2019.valimised.ee/en/election-result/elected-members.html |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=rk2019.valimised.ee}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Valimised |url=https://rk2023.valimised.ee/en/elected-members/index.html |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=rk2023.valimised.ee}}</ref> He resigned as a member of Riigikogu and from politics in September 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paal |first=Gunnar |date=2024-09-07 |title=Jüri Jaanson becomes a member of the Riigikogu |url=https://www.riigikogu.ee/en/press-releases/others/juri-jaanson-becomes-a-member-of-the-riigikogu/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=Riigikogu |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ERR |first=ERR {{!}} |date=2024-09-06 |title=Former EU commissioner, Reform Party co-founder Siim Kallas leaving Riigikogu |url=https://news.err.ee/1609445915/former-eu-commissioner-reform-party-co-founder-siim-kallas-leaving-riigikogu |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=ERR |language=en}}</ref>

His daughter, [[Kaja Kallas]], was the prime minister of Estonia from 2021 to 2024.

==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 [[Confederation of Estonian Trade Unions|Central Union of the Estonian Trade Unions]]
*1989–1991: Member of the [[Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union]]
*1991–1995: President of the [[Bank of Estonia]]
*1995–2004: Member of [[Riigikogu|the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia]]
*1995–1996: Minister of Foreign Affairs
*1996: [[Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe|Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe]]
*1999–2002: Minister of Finance
*2002–2003: Prime minister
*2004–2004: [[European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs|EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs]], serving with Joaquín Almunia
*2004–2010: [[European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud|EU Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud]] and Vice-president of the Commission
*2010–2014: [[European Commissioner for Transport|EU Commissioner for Transport]] and Vice-president of the Commission
*2017–2019: Municipal mayor of [[Viimsi]].
*2019–2024: Member of the [[Riigikogu]].

==Personal life==
[[File:Siim Kallas 8.JPG|thumbnail|left|upright|Siim Kallas at the electromobility summit 2013 in Berlin]]
Kallas' grandfather was [[Eduard Alver]], one of the founders of the [[History of Estonia (1920–39)|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.<ref name="7118974KajaKallas">[https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/articles/2021/01/26/7118974/ Even further from Russia: what is known about the new head of the Estonian government], [[Ukrayinska Pravda|Europeeska Pravda]], 26 January 2021</ref> He speaks Estonian, English, Russian, Finnish, and German. Kallas is of Estonian and distant [[Baltic German]] ancestry.

Kallas is married to doctor Kristi Kallas, who, during the [[Soviet deportations from Estonia]], at age six months, was deported to [[Siberia]] with her mother and grandmother in a cattle car and lived there until she was 10 years old.<ref name="7118974SiimKallas">{{in lang|uk}} [https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/articles/2021/01/26/7118974/ Even further from Russia: what is known about the new head of the Estonian government], [[Ukrayinska Pravda|Europeeska Pravda]] (26 January 2021)</ref>

He has one son and one daughter. His daughter [[Kaja Kallas]] was the leader of the Reform party and was the prime minister of Estonia from 2021 to 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/estonia-to-get-first-female-prime-minister/a-56330397|title=Estonia to get first female prime minister &#124; DW &#124; 24.01.2021|website=[[Deutsche Welle]] }}</ref>
{{clear left}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/2010/mediaGallery.cfm?&gallery=yes&sitelang=en#3108 Siim Kallas, Official Media Gallery]
*[http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/kallas/index_en.htm Official website]
*[http://www.worldwhoswho.com/views/entry.html?id=kal-0056 KALLAS Siim] [[International Who's Who]]
*[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/hearings/commission/2004_comm/pdf/speca_kallas_en.pdf European Parliament Answers to Commissioner Designate M. Kallas]

{{s-start}}
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{{EstonianPMs}}
{{European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs}}
{{European Commissioner for Transport}}
{{First Barroso Commission}}
{{Second Barroso Commission}}
{{EU Finance Commissioners}}
{{European Commissioners from Estonia}}
{{Members of the 15th Riigikogu}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kallas, Siim}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Chairmen of the Bank of Estonia]]
[[Category:Estonian European commissioners]]
[[Category:Estonian people of Baltic German descent]]
[[Category:Estonian Reform Party politicians]]
[[Category:Finance ministers of Estonia]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Estonia]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Leaders of political parties in Estonia]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Riigikogu, 1995–1999]]
[[Category:Members of the Riigikogu, 1999–2003]]
[[Category:Members of the Riigikogu, 2003–2007]]
[[Category:Members of the Riigikogu, 2019–2023]]
[[Category:Members of the Riigikogu, 2023–2027]]
[[Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of Estonia]]
[[Category:Politicians from Tallinn]]
[[Category:Prime ministers of Estonia]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 1st Class]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 2nd Class]]
[[Category:Resigned Communist Party of the Soviet Union members]]
[[Category:University of Tartu alumni]]