Siim Kallas – A (politically correct) Biography
Born in Tallinn on October 2, 1948, Kallas is an Estonian Politician who has served in several positions in the country’s political scene.
Recently named as the new European Commissioner for Transport, his former job was as European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud.
EU Commissioner Siim Kallas
Mr. Siim Kallas graduated cum laude from the Finance and Credit Department of the University of Tartu in 1972. He continued his studies as a post-graduate student until 1975.
After University, Kallas joined the Finance Ministry in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Government as a finance specialist.
In the late 1980’s, Mr. Kallas was among the first economists in Estonia to introduce the idea of economic independence, fact which led him to be nominated as the President of the Bank of Estonia in 1991 and becoming in 1992 “the father of the Estonian kroon”.
In 1994 Mr. Kallas was elected as chairman of the Reform Party, founded by him.
In 1995 he was elected for Estonian Parliament and after a year he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs. Being Kallas under this responsibility, Estonia applied to become a member of the EU.
In 1999 he was elected again for the Estonian Parliament and was designated as the Minister of Finance in the new Government.
From 2002 to 2003 Kallas served as the Prime Minister of Estonia.
In 2003 he was elected for the Estonian Parliament for the third time, where he served as a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Since May 2004 Mr. Kallas has been a Member of the European Commission, working in the field of Economic and Monetary Affairs.
Siim Kallas has some important awards as Order of the National Coat of Arms 2nd class (2003). He was also elected among “100 Great Estonians of the 20th Century” in 2002.
