Siim Kallas
 |
Siim Kallas |
Siim Kallas (born
2 October 1948 in
Tallinn) is an
Estonian politician, currently serving as
European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud. He is also one of five vice-presidents of the 25-member
Barroso Commission. Kallas is a former
Prime Minister of Estonia,
Estonian Minister of Finance,
Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and member of the
Riigikogu. Kallas is a member and former leader of the free-market
liberal Estonian Reform Party.
THE FOLLOWING IS MR KALLAS' OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY AS A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
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 and is now a Visiting Professor at the University of Tartu.
In the late 1980s, Kallas was among the first economists in Estonia to introduce the idea of economic independence. As an active proponent of this new thinking, he contributed significantly to shaping Estonia's economic environment.
In
1991, Kallas was nominated as the President of the
Bank of Estonia. He was one of the principal architects of Estonian monetary reform. In
1992, Estonia adopted its own national currency, the
Kroon, which it pegged to the
Deutsche Mark using the currency board mechanism. The Estonian public regards Kallas as "the father of the Estonian kroon". The currency board regime was paired with the principles of conservative monetary policy and tight fiscal policy, which together continue to form the basis of Estonia's economic framework. Kallas has consistently been the main defender of these principles and a strong supporter of Estonia's balanced budget policy.
In
1994, Kallas founded the
Estonian Reform Party (
Estonian:
Eesti Reformierakond) and was elected as its chairman. The Reform Party propagates a liberal-democratic ideology and is a member of the
Liberal International.
In
1995, Kallas was elected to the Estonian Parliament (
Riigikogu) and later that year became Minister of Foreign Affairs. Kallas, one of the first architects of Estonia's European policy, was foreign minister when Estonia applied for membership in the
European Union, established its EU co-ordination structures and developed its first
Action Plan for EU membership.
In
1999, Kallas was elected to the Estonian Parliament for the second time and was appointed as the Minister of Finance in the new government. He served in this post for three years. As Minister of Finance, he enriched Estonia's income tax legislation by introducing the principle of a zero rate for corporate taxation on reinvested earnings. This has been a successful instrument in Estonia and has also helped increase interest in Estonia among foreign investors. As Minister of Finance, Kallas was also closely involved in the EU accession negotiations, in particular, in discussions concerning monetary and financial issues.
In
2002, Kallas became Prime Minister of Estonia and served in this post until the national elections in Estonia in
2003. He was Prime Minister at a key stage in Estonia's development when the country was invited to join
NATO and concluded accession negotiations with the European Union. Kallas was closely involved in the final stage of the talks, which came to a successful result thanks to his ability to find the best possible compromises.
In
2003, Kallas was, once again, elected to the Estonian Parliament, where he served as a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
In May
2004, Kallas was appointed a member of the European Commission, working in the field of Economic and Monetary Affairs. Since November 2004, Kallas has been a vice-president of the European Commission, and his portfolio covers Administration, Audit and Anti-Fraud.
Kallas is very interested in literature, theatre, music and history. He is a devoted cyclist and enjoys playing tennis. He has written numerous articles mainly on economic affairs, foreign policy and politics. His selected articles have been published as a book.
*1991-1995: President of the Bank of Estonia
*1995-1996: Minister of Foreign Affairs.
*1999-2002: Minister of Finance
*2002-2003: Prime minister.
*2004- EU Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud and Vice-president of the Commission
*
Official website
