Since 2021, she has been the Prime Minister of Estonia. A law graduate, she entered politics following in the footsteps of her father Siim. From 2014 to 2018, she was a member of the European Parliament. The Russian war in Ukraine, in 2022, relaunched her Europeanism and Atlanticism. She has repeatedly reiterated her full and unconditional support for Kiev
She has been one of the most critical figures towards Russia in Europe. And now she is destined to take over the leadership of European foreign policy. Kaja Kallas, the 47-year-old Estonian Prime Minister, is in fact one of the three names that emerged from the European Council of 27 June in the agreement on top jobs, the top roles of the Union. She will be the High Representative for the Union’s foreign policy.
Political career in Estonia and Europe
Kallas graduated in law in 1999, with a subsequent specialization in European law. Then she trained as a manager at the Estonian Business School (in 2007), before entering politics and following in the footsteps of her father Siim who was European Commissioner for Transport in the second Barroso Commission, after being head of the Estonian government between 2002 and 2003. First elected to the national parliament, from 2014 to 2018 she was a member of the European Parliament, in the Committee on Budgets and Industry. In 2021 she became prime minister, leading a coalition government with the Centre Party (Eesti Keskerakond). The Russian war in Ukraine, in 2022, relaunched Kallas’s Europeanism and Atlanticism, who gradually became one of the strongest voices in calling for and reiterating full and unconditional support for Kiev. Because of her openly anti-Russian positions, she also ended up on the Kremlin’s blacklist: on February 13 this year, she was included in Russia’s wanted list.
in-depth analysis
EU appointments, green light for von der Leyen-Costa Kallas. Italy votes against
His family history
The history of Kallas’ family is deeply intertwined with that of his country. His great-grandfather, Eduard Alver, was one of the founders of Estonia and had commanded the Kaitseliit, the League for the Defense of Estonia, a volunteer militia dedicated to the defense of the institutions and territory of the small nation, sandwiched between the Gulf of Finland, Latvia and Russia. Her mother Kirsti, when she was 6 months old, was deported together with her mother and grandmother to Siberia in 1941, only to return to her homeland 10 years later.
