An ethical state does not play with its own people. A self-confident people needs an ethical state. An ethical state supports the choice of every Estonian. A confident Estonian makes himself happy. An ethical state does not impose methods for achieving happiness on anyone or defining this term in general and for Estonians. A self-confident Estonian is independent in his choices.

Biography

10.10.2016 07:00

She was educated at the University of Tartu: in 1992 she graduated from the Faculty of Natural Sciences with a degree in genetics, and in 2001 she graduated with a master's degree from the Faculty of Economics.

During the period 1994 – 1999 worked at various enterprises in Estonia: first she was a sales manager for central telephone exchanges at Eesti Telefon, then she worked at Hoiupank Markets and Hansapank Markets, as well as at the investment bank Associate.

During the period 1999 – 2002 Kersti Kaljulaid was economic adviser to Prime Minister Mart Laar. Her work responsibilities included organizing the cooperation of the Prime Minister's Office with the Bank of Estonia, the Ministry of Finance and the ministries with the largest budgets, as well as coordinating relations with the International Monetary Fund and other financial institutions (the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Nordic Investment Bank and the World Bank). bank). Together with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Social Affairs, she participated in the preparation of pension reform and advised the Prime Minister during the annual budget discussions with ministers.

In 2002 – 2004 Kaljulaid was the financial director and director of the Iru power plant of the Eesti Energia concern.

During the period 2004 – 2016 she was a member of the European Court of Audit. During the period 2004 – 2006 Kaljulaid was the organizer of the financial audit of research and development funds of the European Union budget, and in 2007 – 2010 was responsible for the audit of Structural Policies. In 2004 – In 2007 she was an auditor for the European Union project “Galileo”. In 2010 – 2016 she coordinated the preparation of the European Audit Office's Annual Report and Supporting Statement. In 2005 – 2007 she was a member of the Europol Audit Committee, being the Chairman of this committee in 2007. During the period 2006 – 2008 Kaljulaid was the Chairman of the Control Chamber Committee on Administrative Affairs. In 2010 – 2014 she was responsible for the methodology for compiling the Annual Reports of the Control Chamber and for the compilation of the reports itself. In 2016, she worked in the field of agricultural audit.

In addition, Kersti Kaljulaid was a member of the board of the Estonian Genebank from its establishment until 2004. She was also a member of the curatorium of the University of Tartu in the period 2009 – 2011 and Chairman of the Council of the University of Tartu in 2012 – 2016. Kersti Kaljulaid co-authored the program Keskpäevatund on radio station Kuku in 2002 – 2004, and also editor of Eurominutes at radio station Kuku in the period 2007 – 2016.

Kersti Kaljulaid is married and has four children.

Career

since 2016 President of the Republic of Estonia
2004– 2016 Member of the European Court of Audit
2002– 2004 Financial Director and Director of the Iru Power Plant of the Eesti Energia concern
1999– 2002 Adviser to Prime Minister Mart Laar on economics
1994– 1999 work at various enterprises in Estonia

Membership in public organizations

2001– 2004 member of the board of the Estonian Gene Bank
2009– 2011 member of the curatorium of the University of Tartu
2012– 2016 Chairman of the Council of the University of Tartu
2002– 2004 co-author of the program Keskpäevatund on radio station Kuku
2007– 2016 editor of Eurominutes at radio station Kuku

Orders

2016 Chain of the Order of the State Emblem
2017 Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose with chain (Finland)
2018 Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands
2018 Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
2019 Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Three Stars of the Republic of Latvia

Honorary titles
2018 Honorary Doctorate from South Korean Women's University EWHA
2018 Honorary Citizen of Seoul, South Korea

Languages
Estonian, English, French, Finnish

The history of Estonia begins with the oldest settlements on its territory, which appeared 10,000 years ago. were found near Pulli near modern Pärnu. Finno-Ugric tribes from the east (most likely from the Urals) came centuries later (probably in 3500 BC), mixed with the local population and settled in what is now Estonia, Finland and Hungary. They liked the new lands and rejected the nomadic life that characterized most other European peoples for the next six millennia.

Early history of Estonia (briefly)

In the 9th and 10th centuries AD, Estonians were well aware of the Vikings, who seemed more interested in trade routes to Kyiv and Constantinople than in conquering the land. The first real threat came from Christian invaders from the west. Fulfilling papal calls for crusades against the northern pagans, Danish troops and German knights invaded Estonia, conquering Otepää Castle in 1208. The local inhabitants put up fierce resistance and it took more than 30 years before the entire territory was conquered. By the mid-13th century, Estonia was divided between Danish in the north and German in the south by the Teutonic Orders. The crusaders, rushing east, were stopped by Alexander Nevsky from Novgorod on the frozen Lake Peipsi.

The conquerors settled in new cities, transferring most of the power to the bishops. By the end of the 13th century, cathedrals had risen above Tallinn and Tartu, and Cistercian and Dominican monasteries had been built to evangelize and baptize the local population. Meanwhile, Estonians continued to rebel.

The most significant uprising began on the night of St. George (April 23), 1343. It was started by Danish-controlled Northern Estonia. The history of the country is marked by the plunder of the Cistercian monastery of Padise by the rebels and the murder of all its monks. They then besieged Tallinn and the bishop's castle in Haapsalu and called on the Swedes for help. Sweden did send naval reinforcements, but they arrived too late and were forced to turn back. Despite the determination of the Estonians, the uprising of 1345 was suppressed. The Danes, however, decided that they had enough and sold Estonia to the Livonian Order.

The first craft guilds and merchant guilds appeared in the 14th century, and many cities, such as Tallinn, Tartu, Viljandi and Pärnu, flourished as members of the Hanseatic League. Cathedral of St. John's in Tartu with its terracotta sculptures is evidence of wealth and Western trade connections.

Estonians continued to practice pagan rites at weddings, funerals and nature worship, although by the 15th century these rites became associated with Catholicism and they received Christian names. In the 15th century, peasants lost their rights and by the beginning of the 16th they became serfs.

Reformation

The Reformation, which originated in Germany, reached Estonia in the 1520s with the first wave of Lutheran preachers. By the mid-16th century, the church was reorganized, and monasteries and churches came under the auspices of the Lutheran Church. In Tallinn, authorities closed the Dominican monastery (its impressive ruins remain); The Dominican and Cistercian monasteries in Tartu were closed.

Livonian War

In the 16th century, the greatest threat to Livonia (now Northern Latvia and Southern Estonia) came from the east. Ivan the Terrible, who proclaimed himself the first Tsar in 1547, pursued a policy of expansion to the west. Russian troops led by ferocious Tatar cavalry attacked in the Tartu region in 1558. The fighting was very brutal, the invaders left death and destruction in their path. Russia was joined by Poland, Denmark and Sweden, and periodic hostilities were fought throughout the 17th century. A brief overview of the history of Estonia does not allow us to dwell on this period in detail, but as a result, Sweden emerged victorious.

The war placed a heavy burden on the local population. In two generations (from 1552 to 1629), half the rural population died, about three-quarters of all farms were deserted, diseases such as plague, crop failure, and the ensuing famine increased the number of victims. Apart from Tallinn, every castle and fortified center of the country was plundered or destroyed, including Viljandi Castle, which was one of the strongest fortresses in Northern Europe. Some cities were completely destroyed.

Swedish period

After the war, Estonia's history was marked by a period of peace and prosperity under Swedish rule. Cities, thanks to trade, grew and prospered, helping the economy quickly recover from the horrors of war. Under Swedish rule, Estonia was united under a single ruler for the first time in history. By the mid-17th century, however, things began to deteriorate. An outbreak of plague and later the Great Famine (1695-97) killed 80 thousand people - almost 20% of the population. Sweden soon faced a threat from an alliance of Poland, Denmark and Russia, which sought to regain lands lost in the Livonian War. The invasion began in 1700. After some successes, including the defeat of Russian troops near Narva, the Swedes began to retreat. In 1708 Tartu was destroyed, and all survivors were sent to Russia. In 1710 Tallinn capitulated and Sweden was defeated.

Education

The history of Estonia as part of Russia began. This did not bring anything good to the peasants. The war and plague of 1710 claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. Peter I abolished the Swedish reforms and destroyed any hopes of freedom for the surviving serfs. Attitudes towards them would not change until the Enlightenment at the end of the 18th century. Catherine II limited the privileges of the elite and carried out quasi-democratic reforms. But only in 1816 were the peasants finally freed from serfdom. They also received surnames, greater freedom of movement, and limited access to self-government. By the second half of the 19th century, the rural population began to purchase farmsteads and earn income from crops such as potatoes and flax.

National awakening

The end of the 19th century marked the beginning of a national awakening. Led by the new elite, the country was moving towards statehood. The first Estonian language newspaper, Perno Postimees, appeared in 1857. It was published by Johann Voldemar Jannsen, one of the first to use the term “Estonians” rather than maarahvas (rural population). Another influential thinker was Karl Robert Jacobson, who fought for equal political rights for Estonians. He also founded the first national political newspaper, Sakala.

Insurrection

Late 19th century became a period of industrialization, the emergence of large factories and an extensive network of railways connecting Estonia with Russia. Dire working conditions sparked discontent, and newly formed labor parties led demonstrations and strikes. Events in Estonia mirrored those in Russia, and in January 1905 an armed uprising broke out. Tension grew until the fall of that year, when 20 thousand workers went on strike. The tsarist troops acted brutally, killing and wounding 200 people. Thousands of soldiers arrived from Russia to suppress the uprising. 600 Estonians were executed and hundreds were sent to Siberia. Trade unions and progressive newspapers and organizations were closed, and political leaders fled the country.

More radical plans to populate Estonia with thousands of Russian peasants thanks to the First World War were never realized. The country paid a high price for participating in the war. 100 thousand people were called up, of which 10 thousand died. Many Estonians went to fight because Russia promised to grant the country statehood for the victory over Germany. Of course it was a hoax. But by 1917, this issue was no longer decided by the tsar. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate the throne, and the Bolsheviks seized power. Chaos engulfed Russia, and Estonia, seizing the initiative, declared its independence on February 24, 1918.

War for independence

Estonia faced threats from Russia and Baltic-German reactionaries. War broke out and the Red Army advanced rapidly, capturing half the country by January 1919. Estonia stubbornly defended itself and, with the help of British warships and Finnish, Danish and Swedish troops, defeated its longtime enemy. In December, Russia agreed to a truce, and on February 2, 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed, according to which it forever renounced claims to the country's territory. For the first time, fully independent Estonia appeared on the world map.

The history of the state during this period is characterized by rapid economic development. The country used its natural resources and attracted investment from abroad. The University of Tartu became the university of Estonians, and the Estonian language became the language of international communication, creating new opportunities in the professional and academic spheres. A huge book industry emerged - between 1918 and 1940. 25 thousand book titles were published.

However, the political sphere was not so rosy. Fear of communist subversion, such as the failed coup attempt of 1924, led to right-wing leadership. In 1934, the leader of the transitional government, Konstantin Päts, together with the commander-in-chief of the Estonian army, Johan Laidoner, violated the Constitution and seized power under the pretext of protecting democracy from extremist groups.

The fate of the state was sealed when Nazi Germany and the USSR entered into a secret pact in 1939, essentially handing it over to Stalin. Members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation organized a fictitious uprising and, on behalf of the people, demanded that Estonia be included in the USSR. President Päts, General Laidoner and other leaders were arrested and sent to Soviet camps. A puppet government was created, and on August 6, 1940 it granted Estonia’s “request” to join the USSR.

Deportations and World War II devastated the country. Tens of thousands were conscripted and sent to work and die in labor camps in northern Russia. Thousands of women and children shared their fate.

When Soviet troops fled under enemy pressure, Estonians hailed the Germans as liberators. 55 thousand people joined self-defense units and Wehrmacht battalions. However, Germany had no intention of granting Estonia statehood and viewed it as occupied territory of the Soviet Union. Hopes were dashed after the execution of the collaborators. 75 thousand people were shot (of which 5 thousand were ethnic Estonians). Thousands fled to Finland, and those who remained were drafted into the German army (about 40 thousand people).

At the beginning of 1944, Soviet troops bombed Tartu and other cities. The complete destruction of Narva was an act of revenge against the “Estonian traitors.”

German troops retreated in September 1944. Fearing the advance of the Red Army, many Estonians also fled and about 70 thousand ended up in the West. By the end of the war, every 10th Estonian lived abroad. In total, the country lost more than 280 thousand people: in addition to those who emigrated, 30 thousand were killed in battle, the rest were executed, sent to camps or destroyed in concentration camps.

After the war, the state was immediately annexed by the Soviet Union. Estonia's history is marred by a period of repression, with thousands tortured or sent to prisons and camps. 19,000 Estonians were executed. Farmers were brutally forced into collectivization, and thousands of migrants poured into the country from different regions of the USSR. Between 1939 and 1989 the percentage of native Estonians decreased from 97 to 62%.

In response to repression, a partisan movement was organized in 1944. 14 thousand “forest brothers” armed themselves and went underground, working in small groups throughout the country. Unfortunately, their actions were not successful, and by 1956 the armed resistance was virtually destroyed.

But the dissident movement was gaining strength, and on the day of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Stalin-Hitler Pact, a large rally was held in Tallinn. Over the next few months, protests escalated, with Estonians demanding the restoration of statehood. Song festivals have become powerful means of struggle. The largest of them took place in 1988, when 250 thousand Estonians gathered at the Singing Field in Tallinn. This attracted great international attention to the situation in the Baltic states.

In November 1989, the Supreme Council of Estonia declared the events of 1940 an act of military aggression and declared them illegal. In 1990, the country held free elections. Despite Russia's attempts to prevent this, Estonia regained its independence in 1991.

Modern Estonia: history of the country (briefly)

In 1992, the first general elections were held under the new Constitution, with the participation of new political parties. The Pro Patria Union won by a slight margin. Its leader, 32-year-old historian Mart Laar, became prime minister. The modern history of Estonia as an independent state began. Laar began to transition the state to a free market economy, introduced the Estonian kroon into circulation and began negotiations on the complete withdrawal of Russian troops. The country breathed a sigh of relief when the last garrisons left the republic in 1994, leaving devastated lands in the northeast, contaminated groundwater around air bases and nuclear waste at naval bases.

In the description of Kersti Kaljulaid’s life, there is not a word about who she worked in 1992-1997. There is also no data on this period on the official page of the President of Estonia. “Work in various enterprises in Estonia” is all that is written on the website. The business register also lacks relevant information, writes the weekly Eesti Ekspress.

WELCOME! Kersti Kaljulaid in November 2000, consultant to Prime Minister Mart Laar on the threshold of Stenbock's house. Photo: Tiina Kõrtsini

In addition, none of the public photo banks contain photographs of Kaljulaid taken before 1999, when she unexpectedly became an economic adviser to Prime Minister Mart Laar.

Kersti Kaljulaid (then Talvik) is a sales manager for the Estonian telephone company, which was still partially state-owned in the 90s.

Women can do everything themselves

None of this would matter much, because youth is youth. However, this was the time when Kersti Kaljulaid took off. As well as the time of the country’s takeoff. The time when socialist Estonia turned into capitalist. A time when good ideas did not hang in the air, but were brought to life. Every day something interesting happened. Life was in full swing.

Kaljulaid is a modern woman, she is not afraid of difficulties and can stand up for herself.

15 years ago Kaljulaid wrote in Eesti Ekspress: “Estonian women will not humiliate themselves and demand a sense of responsibility from men. They are happy and proud that they can do everything themselves. Buy apartments, pay off loans, save money to survive maternity leave.”

These were not empty words. By that time, Kaljulaid was divorced and raising two children.

Poor childhood

The first female president of Estonia was born in a typical residential area of ​​Tallinn - Mustamäe. She lived her entire childhood in a two-room apartment in a five-story panel building. The parents were divorced. There was always not enough money. There wasn't even a TV in the house. While studying at school, Kirsty worked as a nanny.

The girl went to secondary school 44 (the current Mustamäe Gymnasium) and quickly realized that she needed to study, otherwise her mother would be called to school. This happened several times in junior high. “I was not yet mature enough because I went to school earlier than the others,” says Kaljulaid.

In 1987, she graduated from school with a silver medal, entered the University of Tartu at the Department of Biology and Geography and graduated cum laude.

Kaljulaid wanted to become a scientist, like her and her mother, Linda Kaljulaid, who worked at the Institute for Scientific Research of Preventive Medicine.

At university, Kirsty focused on studying genetics as a more promising and profitable field. After graduating from university, she and her young children moved to Tallinn.

"Economic refugee"

Kirsty became a mother too early even by the standards of the time: she gave birth to her daughter Silja a few weeks before her 19th birthday. Siim's son was born in October 1993, when she was 23.

Due to his small income, the future president had to give up his career as a scientist. “Having two children, working in a laboratory and receiving a laboratory assistant’s salary is unthinkable,” wrote Stiil magazine.

“When in 1994, after my second maternity leave, I wanted to return to work in my specialty, my income would not even cover the costs of kindergarten. So I was an economic refugee,” she told university publication Universitas Tartuensis.

“I remember before the birth of my second child, I saved money for eight months to buy a refrigerator. But I saw that there are places where there is no need to do this,” she admitted.

Secret communication center

It may seem that Kaljulaid is offended by men, but this is not the case.

She married on April 1, 1988 to a guy from Tartu, Taavi Talvik, who later made a significant contribution to the “internetization” of Estonia.

One of the founders of the Postimees newspaper, IT manager Taavi Talvik at the computer center. Photo by Raul Mee / Äripaev

In September 1992, Secretary of State Uno Wearing issued a secret order to create a Government Communications Centre. The new organization was supposed to offer secure telephone and data transmission services to government agencies, as well as engage in radio intelligence. The KGB communications network, its buildings and the remaining equipment were transferred to the institution; its director was Jaak “Jack” Lippmaa from the Institute of Chemical and Biological Physics, who, most likely, noticed Talvik and invited him to work.

Meanwhile, Kirsty didn’t want to sit at home all the time and depend on a man’s income. Then the family already lived in Tallinn, and Talvik’s colleagues found her a position as a secretary at the Haberst Tehing company, which sold Siemens equipment, including the Government Communications Center.

In modern times, they would have been accused of corruption, but then everything was different. Gradually, Kirsty, due to her excellent negotiation abilities, became a successful sales manager. At one point, she had a desire to move on and found another job, which again turned out to be connected with the center. This time she received a position in the Nösper company, founded by her husband and several other people from their close circle.

Later it was renamed Uninet Andmeside. According to the business register, Kaljulaid was a member of the company's board until June 1999. At this time, she was already working in Toompea as an adviser to the prime minister, was divorced from Talvik and lived in Mustamäe with her current husband Rene Maksimovsky.

Ardent young lady

From Uninet, Kaljulaid moved to Eesti Telefon as head of sales for central telephone exchanges. “Kersti was a fiery young lady who stood out for her intelligence. She has good technical sense, persuasion and sales skills,” recalls her boss at the time, Waldo Kalm.

Old habits are hard to break: when Kaljulaid started working as president in Kadriorg, the first thing he did was order the telephone communications to be put in order.

She also found her next job through an acquaintance: thanks to Kadi Tarand, who worked at Hoiupank and recommended Kirsty to the management there. The newly hired employee often had to stay late at work. Her mother, who by that time was no longer a scientist, but a secretary, was sitting with the children.

Bank employee badge

“Thanks to the experience she gained in a telephone sales company, she was able to express herself well, both verbally and in writing, and to obtain the necessary information from clients. She knew how to penetrate well into the essence and draw conclusions. The classic qualities of a leader were noticeable in her character even then,” recalls her former leader Mart Mägi.

Six months later, Hoiupank was merged with Hansapank, and only the best employees had to be selected from both companies. This was the first time Kaljulaid had to go for an interview. “Kersty passed it, and it showed that she quickly got up to speed in a new area. She learned very quickly,” recalls her colleague Rain Tamm.

"I'm happy!"

The turning point in Kaljulaid’s career came in the summer of 1998, when she talked with Matti Maasikas about the problems of developing entrepreneurship in Ida-Viru County. Later, Mart Laar won the elections, became prime minister, and Maazikas became the director of his bureau and offered Kaljulaid a place on Toompea (at that time the Stenbock House had not yet been converted for government needs). A day after the proposal, Kirsty gave her consent.

Her further activities are already more or less known to the public: the leadership of Eesti Energia, the Iru Power Plant, the TU council, the European Court of Auditors, the chair of the President of Estonia.

This is all similar to the real story of Cinderella: a little girl from a poor Mustamäe family becomes a figure of European level and the president of her homeland.

Kaljulaid's ex-husband Taavi Talvik is now working as development director at NOW! Innovations, offering mobile parking solutions around the world.

Rene Maksimovsky was transferred from the Government Communications Center to the State Infocommunications Foundation (RIKS).

Current husband Georg-René Maksimovsky drew attention to Cinderella back in the 90s, when she worked at the telephone company

When the couple's first son was born in 2005, Kirsty's mother again looked after the child. After the birth of his second son four years later, Maksimovsky himself took maternity leave. Then he received notice of layoffs and is now taking care of household chores.

When asked if she is happy, Kersti Kaljulaid replies: “Yes. Undoubtedly!"

10 little-known facts about Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid

Eesti Ekspress has found ten previously unknown and little-known facts about the recently elected new President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, such as her connections with the secret services and problems with the law.

Young lover of ornithology

“Over the years, the members and trustees of the Estonian Society of Naturalists have completed a large number of nest maps of nesting birds,” this is how the first published work of the future Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid began.

In 1987, the April issue of Eesti Loodus magazine published a long and detailed article entitled “On the nesting of the white-browed and song thrush”, the authors of which were Kersti Kaljulaid and Ann Rooden. At that time, Kaljulaid was a student at Tallinn School No. 44. A year later she entered the University of Tartu to study biology, and graduated with honors in 1992.

World of telecom operators

The career path in Kersti Kaljulaid's official CV begins in 1998, when she started working at Hansabank Markets. In fact, she worked before that - at Hoiupank. Most of Kaljulaid's work in the nineties revolved around telecoms and telecom operators.

In the period 1997-1999 she was a member of the board of Uninet, which today has transformed into Elisa Eesti. Before that, Kaljulaid worked for Eesti Telefon, and even earlier for a company called Haberst, which imported Siemens communications equipment and also rented cars to the government agency Valitsusside.

There were problems with the law

There is still a small stain on the reputation of the new President of Estonia. On April 1, 1995, the police issued two violations committed by a certain Kersti Talvik in a GAZ 24-10 - for driving without a license and with residual effects of previous intoxication. The Kersti Talvik of then is the Kersti Kaljulaid of today.

Mysterious life partners

Kesrti Kaljulaid's first husband was Taavi Talvik. In 2002, Kaljulaid told Postimees that she had outgrown that marriage: “I don’t see a disaster in not being able to live my whole life with one person.”

In the nineties, Taavi Talvik held a high position in a secret agency called Valitsusside, which dealt with government communications and electronic intelligence. In 2001, the Information Department was formed on the basis of the Information Service and Valitsusside.

Eesti Ekspress previously wrote that Kaljulaid’s second husband Georg-René Maksimovsky most likely works or worked in the Estonian Information Department or in a related institution. Kaljulaid herself confirmed that her husband was engaged in secret work. Later, however, her team clarified that her husband worked at the Trusted Institution of State Infocommunications, and therefore had access to state secrets.

Even the head of the Department of Information, Mikk Marran, said that a person named Maksimovsky does not work in the department and never has. However, it is worth considering that employees of the Department of Information receive a new secret name when starting work - maybe not everything is so simple?

Husband won sneakers

One can only speculate about the secret activities of Kaljulaid’s husband. If the public is not supposed to know anything about it, then only those small details are left that are known for sure. For example, in 2002, Georg-René Maksimovsky won ASICS running shoes at a running competition.

Feud with Cross

When Kersti Kaljulaid sought support in the Riigikogu, many claimed that Eerik-Nijles Kross was actively working against her, although he himself denies this. According to rumors, something happened between Cross and Kaljulaid when she served as an adviser to Prime Minister Mart Laar from 1999-2002.

In 2001, Laar fired Cross as scouting coordinator. The official reason is the use of a work credit card for personal purposes. The media cited Cross's possible connection with suspicious railway privatizations and his other moves as the reason. One source told Eesti Ekspress that it was Kaljulaid who gave advice to Laar: he needed to get rid of speculators. Hence the feud between Kaljulaid and Cross.

Kaljulaid was invited to head IRL

In 2011–2012, Mart Laar was preparing to step down as chairman of the IRL. Laar's friends advised him to call Kaljulaid to become the new party leader. Laar was well aware that members of Res Publica had taken over the party, and in Kaljulaid he saw a chance to return the reins of power to Isamaalit. In 2012, due to Laar's stroke, these plans had to be postponed.

Last year, other parties also wanted to attract Kaljulaid to their ranks. As the end of her work at the European Court of Audit approached, some parties contacted her and asked what her plans were for the future and whether she would like to get involved in politics.

Fake it 'til it's true

The nomination of Kersti Kaljulaid as a candidate for the presidency, as well as her appointment to the post, took place quite quickly and spontaneously. The reformist faction asked her if she was ready to become president?

Kaljulaid admitted that she has not yet mastered all the topics, but added that in English there is a great expression for this: “I will fake it till I make it” (“I will fake it until it becomes true”).

So Kaljurand or Kaljulaid?

In the onomastic database compiled by the historian Aadu Must (onomastics is the science of names), the surname of Kersti Kaljulaid’s grandfather was originally recorded as Kaljurand. This mistake was corrected by Must’s colleagues after the presidential elections.

Predictions for 2020

13 years ago, Kersti Kaljulaid, then director of the Iru Power Plant, wrote an essay about life in Estonia in 2020 for Eesti Ekspress. In her article, the future president made several bold predictions, some of which have already come true.

For example, Kaljulaid successfully predicted that: Estonia will make great strides in the IT sector; the “green energy” movement will begin, and renewable energy will account for 30%-40% of total production; transit from Russia will begin to disappear; NATO will become stronger and cooperation stronger than when Estonia joined the alliance.

There were also predictions that did not come true: teachers would earn the same as their Western colleagues; Estonia's population will exceed 2 million people; women will give birth to 2.2 children on average; Trains will depart to Moscow four times a day.

And one interesting coincidence: Kaljulaid’s essay came out second in a series of opinions, and it was preceded by an essay whose author was ... Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Ilves' ethnic background is quite interesting. His maternal grandmother is Russian, Chistoganova, a native of St. Petersburg. Ilves’ mother was also born there in 1927. Then the mother and grandfather, who worked in Russia, moved to independent Estonia. In the fall of 1944, during the advance of Soviet troops, the family fled to Stockholm, where Ilves himself was born, and later re-emigrated to the United States. Being a quarter Russian, Ilves, however, did not master the Russian language. Speaks English, Estonian, German, Spanish, French and Finnish.

Childhood and education

Toomas Hendrik Ilves was born on December 26, 1953 in Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up in the USA and graduated from high school in Leonia, New Jersey in 1972. In 1976 he graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's degree in psychology, and in 1978 from the University of Pennsylvania (master's degree in psychology).

Labor activity

In 1984-88, Ilves worked as an analyst at the Research Institute of Radio Free Europe in Munich, and from 1988-93 he was head of the Estonian department of Radio Free Europe.

Political career

After the restoration of Estonia's independence in 1991, he moved to his grandfather's homeland. Between 1993 and 1996. He was the Ambassador of Estonia to the USA, Canada and Mexico. In 1996-1998 and 1999-2002 he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. During the period 2001-2002. was the head of the Moderate People's Party. He left this position after the disastrous municipal elections of 2002, during which his party managed to receive only 4.4% of the vote. The Moderate Party was soon renamed the Social Democratic Party of Estonia. He repeatedly advocated for Estonia's membership in the European Union and led active negotiations, which ultimately led to Estonia's accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004. In the same year, in the elections to the European Parliament, Ilves, representing the Social Democratic Party of Estonia, received more than 76,000 votes and was elected to the European Parliament. In parliament he joined the Party of European Socialists.

Best of the day

Presidency

Ilves' candidacy for the presidential elections was nominated by the Reform Party and the Social Democratic Party, of which he was a member, on March 23, 2006.

On August 29, Ilves was the only candidate in the second and third round of the presidential elections to the Riigikogu (he was supported by the ruling Reform Party, as well as the opposition parties: Social Democrats, Fatherland Union and Res Publica. The Center Party and the People's Union boycotted the elections to the Riigikogu (the chairmen of these parties urged their deputies not to participate in the elections). 64 votes were cast for Ilves out of the 65 available to the coalition supporting him. However, to win the elections, Ilves needed to receive two-thirds of the 101 votes in the Riigikogu. Therefore, his candidacy was automatically transferred to the next round of elections. scheduled for September 23.

On September 23, 2006, Ilves received 174 votes in the first round of the presidential elections in the Electoral College and was thereby elected as the new President of Estonia. The next day, Ilves left the Social Democratic Party. His five-year term officially began on October 9, 2006.

Ilves promised to pay more attention to foreign policy. According to him, “the road to Moscow runs through Brussels.” Regarding domestic policy, Ilves supported the idea of ​​strengthening the role of the president as a “moral arbiter” in the political sphere. Thus, he sharply criticized the political pressure allegedly exerted by the leaders of the Center Party and the People's Union on their deputies in the Riigikogu and local politicians.

Center Party leader Edgar Savisaar, in turn, expressed dissatisfaction with Ilves' victory in the elections.

Under Ilves, the influence of a number of nationalist political circles in Estonia gradually increased, which ultimately led to the transfer of the Bronze Soldier from the center of Tallinn, conflicts around the Baltic Nord Stream gas pipeline, as well as deterioration of relations with Russia. During the 2006 presidential race, Ilves himself expressed the opinion that it would be wiser to leave the monument in its old location, believing that this issue should still be dealt with by the Riigikogu. The televised address of the President of Estonia to the residents of the country on September 1, 2007 was accompanied by Russian subtitles for the first time since the restoration of independence.

Personal life

President Ilves is married for the second time to Evelin Ilves (medical education), he has two daughters (born 1992 and 2003) and a son (born 1987), the eldest daughter and son are from his first marriage to Mary Bullock.

Orders and awards

Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor (2001).

Order of the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Estonia, III class (2004).

Order of Three Stars of the Republic of Latvia (2004).

Order of the Cross of Maryamaa (2006).

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath of the United Kingdom (2006).

Order of the White Rose of the Republic of Finland (2007).

Ilves almost always wears bowties. He explains this by saying that his father had such a habit.

With Ilves's victory in the elections and until the resignation of Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the posts of presidents of all the Baltic republics were former citizens of the United States or Canada.

For the first time in the country's history, a woman became the President of Estonia. Kersti Kaljulaid previously served as the country's representative at the European Court of Auditors.

The new head of state was chosen only on the third attempt. Estonia has a two-tier system of indirect presidential elections: first, parliament tries to elect the head of state, but if none of the candidates manages to get the required number of votes, then the election continues in the electoral college.

During three rounds of voting, which took place in parliament on August 29 and 30, deputies failed to elect the head of Estonia, since none of the presented candidates received the number of votes required to win. Thus, the elections continued in the collegium, which included 101 members of parliament and 234 representatives of local governments, a total of 335 people.

The electors never chose

One of the three candidates, oppositionist Mailis Reps, who advocates good neighborly relations with Russia, was hoping that if the vote in parliament failed, the head of Estonia would be chosen by an electoral college, including representatives of counties. Reps' party members noted that it was at the collegium that she had a good chance of winning.

After the restoration of Estonia's independence, the Electoral College has already elected the president in 1996, 2001 and 2006, and twice - in 1992 and 2011 - the parliament handled these functions. However, this time the Electoral College on September 24 was also unable to choose the President of Estonia in the second round of voting, since not a single candidate received the necessary number of votes to win. Elections then began again in parliament.

On October 2, Kaljulaid was registered as the country's only presidential candidate. The candidacy at the registration stage was supported by 90 members of parliament, including all members of the ruling coalition, as well as 23 members of the largest opposition Center Party and all members of the opposition Free Party. Only the faction of the Conservative People's Party, numbering seven deputies, was the only one that refused to support Kaljulaid in its entirety.

To win, she needed to receive at least 68 votes (two-thirds of the 101-seat parliament). As a result, 81 out of 101 people’s representatives voted for Kaljulaid. “Thank you for your trust and the votes cast for me,” the new president told the deputies, TASS reports.

Let us remind you that the powers of current President Tomas Hendrik Ilves expire in October. This is his second time in office and, according to the constitution, he cannot be elected for a third term.

The president's husband does housework

Kaljulaid was born in 1969. She graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in biology and defended her master's degree in business management in 2001. She held a number of senior positions in banking and business structures, and was an economic adviser to Prime Minister Mart Laar. Since 2004 he has been the representative of Estonia at the European Court of Auditors.

Kaljulaid is also involved in public work: since 2011 she has been the Chairman of the Council of the University of Tartu, and since 2016 she has headed the Development Monitoring Council at the Office of the Parliament. Non-partisan.

The Kaljulaid family has four children – one daughter and three sons. Georgi-René Maksimovsky's husband is an engineer by profession and worked at the Institute of Cybernetics at the University of Tartu. Currently, due to his wife’s work, he is involved in raising children and taking care of the house.

“I received the post through closed agreements”

The leader of the Estonian Night Watch movement, human rights defender and activist Dmitry Linter told the newspaper VZGLYAD that on Monday he held a single picket in Tallinn for freedom of speech and the right of citizens to choose the president of the country. He emphasized that Kaljulaid chose the so-called Committee of Elders, consisting of only six people, after which this decision was approved by parliament. “The elections were uncontested. The procedure itself was closed,” he noted.

Speaking about Kaljulaid, Linter said that “she was not present in the media space and was a member of the Russophobic party “Isamaalit” (“Fatherland Union”).” According to the interlocutor, this party “promotes neo-Nazi ideas.”

Kaljulaid also negotiated the fate of the Narva power plants, the largest industrial asset in north-east Estonia, Linter notes. Once upon a time, the Americans wanted to privatize this facility, and Kaljulaid was one of the members of the negotiating team.

“Her figure is unknown to anyone. She received political office through secret agreements, in violation of any democratic norms and procedures. There is no trace of any legitimacy of the Estonian president here,” he is sure.

Not without the participation of the American Ambassador

Linter emphasized that the President of Estonia has neither influence nor weight, but due to the work of the political kitchen, he can influence some processes, for example, approve certain laws. This opportunity was actively used by President Toomas Ilves, who, in addition to Estonian, also had American citizenship.

When the ruling Center Party received almost twice as many votes as its closest rival in the last parliamentary elections, it was never given the opportunity to form a government. This right - not without the participation of Ilves - was transferred to another party, “which was a violation of democratic procedures.”

Linter is confident that Kaljulaid as president is convenient for the United States, since the American ambassador to Estonia participated in the consultation process on the figure of the new president and made his comments on this topic. “This is a shadow theater in the land of the absurd. It is impossible to imagine a more absurd situation... This is a disgrace; there is no point in talking about the legitimacy of the president,” says Dmitry Linter.

In turn, the head of the Center for Post-Soviet Studies at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leonid Vardomsky, notes that the President of Estonia is elected from representatives of the elite and this system has long been established. “Estonia has its own presidential election system. This is the face of the country, and, accordingly, he can influence foreign policy. He does not manage operationally, does not sign current orders and decrees, but he forms this policy. Random people cannot get into the presidency. There was inter-party bargaining in Estonia, and Kaljulaid became a compromise figure,” Vardomsky told the newspaper VZGLYAD.