Edgar Savisaar
Encyclopedia
Edgar Savisaar is an Estonia
n politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia
and the leader of the Centre Party
. He has served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia
, Minister of Internal affairs
and Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications. Currently he is the mayor of Tallinn
, the capital of Estonia.
. In 1973, he graduated from the university with a degree in history. In 1980, he wrote his candidate thesis in philosophy on the topic "Social Philosophical Foundations of the Global Models of the Club of Rome
".
In 1989, he became the Vice-Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Estonian SSR and the Head of the State Plan Committee. In 1990, he was the Minister of Economy. On 3 April 1990, he was appointed the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. When Estonia declared its independence on 20 August 1991, he became the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia. His government was in office until 29 January 1992, when he was forced to resign after supplement problems and a continuing decline in economy.
From 1992 until 1995, Savisaar was the Vice-Speaker of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu
). From 17 April – 6 November 1995, he was the Minister for Internal Affairs. When he was accused of recording private conversations of other politicians, the entire government faltered. Although his participation in the recordings was never proved, he announced his intention to leave politics. However, in 1996, he participated in the elections of the Riigikogu and became the Chairman of the Tallinn
City Council. His return to the Centre Party leader's post evoked a split, as some leading members disillusioned with Savisaar's leadership style left to found Arengupartei. From 2001 to 14 October 2004, he was mayor of Tallinn
. On 11 April 2005, he became Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications in the new coalition of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
.
Edgar Savisaar and Estonia People's Union leader Villu Reiljan jointly supported Arnold Rüütel
's candidature for presidency in August–September 2006; Toomas Hendrik Ilves
was elected though, a choice criticised by Savisaar and attributed by him to alleged hostile media and partisan lawmakers. Savisaar refused to congratulate the winner.
Savisaar has published four books. He received the Order of State Coat of Arms in 2001.
n politicians. The latter accusation has been fuelled by the Centre Party's collaboration agreement with Putin's
United Russia
party, particularly since the agreement's content has not been made public. Savisaar is often associated with using Machiavellian
politics and deals to achieve his goals, such as taping other politicians, which caused the so-called tape scandal in 1995; and while being the mayor of the Estonian capital Tallinn, real-estate deals that were good for the members of the Centre Party, but were bad for the town.
of deliberate attempts of splitting the Estonian society by provoking the Russian minority. In response to this many government officials and public figures have stated distrust and disrespect towards him. In an online opinion poll conducted by a local newspaper Postimees
, 87.4% of participants out of 10,000 found Savisaar to be inciting conflicts, whereas only 3.9% approved of his behavior.
In relation to Savisaar's reactions to the Bronze Soldier controversy, an online petition website www.mahasavisaar.com was created on 29 April 2007 to suggest resignation of his position as the Mayor of Tallinn
. It ended on the 9 May 2007 and had collected 98,200 signatures. In 2009 being a candidate for EP elections collected a 103506 votes in closed list system.
, who is also an Estonian politician. They had a daughter Rosina. The couple announced their separation in December 2009.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia
Rahvarinne
The Popular Front of Estonia - initially introduced to the public by Estonian politician Edgar Savisaar as the "Popular Front for the Support of Perestroika" - a name soon discarded - was a political organization in Estonia in late 1980s and early 1990s...
and the leader of the Centre Party
Estonian Centre Party
The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members....
. He has served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia
Prime Minister of Estonia
The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...
, Minister of Internal affairs
Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs
The Minister of Internal Affairs is the senior minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Estonian Government.-Ministers of Internal Affairs:List of ministes of Internal Affairs since 1990....
and Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications. Currently he is the mayor of Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, the capital of Estonia.
Education
After graduating from high school, Savisaar continued his studies at the University of TartuUniversity of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
. In 1973, he graduated from the university with a degree in history. In 1980, he wrote his candidate thesis in philosophy on the topic "Social Philosophical Foundations of the Global Models of the Club of Rome
Club of Rome
The Club of Rome is a global think tank that deals with a variety of international political issues. Founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy, the CoR describes itself as "a group of world citizens, sharing a common concern for the future of humanity." It consists of current and...
".
Career
From 1980 to 1988, Savisaar worked in governmental institutions dealing with the planning of economy. During 1988–1989, he was the academic director for the consultation company "Mainor".In 1989, he became the Vice-Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Estonian SSR and the Head of the State Plan Committee. In 1990, he was the Minister of Economy. On 3 April 1990, he was appointed the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. When Estonia declared its independence on 20 August 1991, he became the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia. His government was in office until 29 January 1992, when he was forced to resign after supplement problems and a continuing decline in economy.
From 1992 until 1995, Savisaar was the Vice-Speaker of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
). From 17 April – 6 November 1995, he was the Minister for Internal Affairs. When he was accused of recording private conversations of other politicians, the entire government faltered. Although his participation in the recordings was never proved, he announced his intention to leave politics. However, in 1996, he participated in the elections of the Riigikogu and became the Chairman of the Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
City Council. His return to the Centre Party leader's post evoked a split, as some leading members disillusioned with Savisaar's leadership style left to found Arengupartei. From 2001 to 14 October 2004, he was mayor of Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. On 11 April 2005, he became Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications in the new coalition of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of Estonia, and chairman of the market liberal Estonian Reform Party .-Early life and career:...
.
Edgar Savisaar and Estonia People's Union leader Villu Reiljan jointly supported Arnold Rüütel
Arnold Rüütel
Arnold Rüütel OIH was the third President of the Republic of Estonia from October 8, 2001 to October 9, 2006. He was the second President since Estonia regained its independence in 1991....
's candidature for presidency in August–September 2006; Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves is the fourth and current President of Estonia. He is a former diplomat and journalist, was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the 1990s and later a member of the European Parliament...
was elected though, a choice criticised by Savisaar and attributed by him to alleged hostile media and partisan lawmakers. Savisaar refused to congratulate the winner.
Savisaar has published four books. He received the Order of State Coat of Arms in 2001.
Controversy
Savisaar is one of the most controversial politicians in Estonia. While some people, including many from the Russian-speaking minority, see him as a defender of poor, his political opponents accuse him of authoritarianism, nepotism, corruption, destructive intrigues, and having close ties with RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n politicians. The latter accusation has been fuelled by the Centre Party's collaboration agreement with Putin's
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
party, particularly since the agreement's content has not been made public. Savisaar is often associated with using Machiavellian
Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct", deriving from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe and other works...
politics and deals to achieve his goals, such as taping other politicians, which caused the so-called tape scandal in 1995; and while being the mayor of the Estonian capital Tallinn, real-estate deals that were good for the members of the Centre Party, but were bad for the town.
Bronze Soldier
During the events surrounding the Bronze Soldier, Edgar Savisaar spoke out against the removal of the monument and accused Andrus AnsipAndrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of Estonia, and chairman of the market liberal Estonian Reform Party .-Early life and career:...
of deliberate attempts of splitting the Estonian society by provoking the Russian minority. In response to this many government officials and public figures have stated distrust and disrespect towards him. In an online opinion poll conducted by a local newspaper Postimees
Postimees
Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. It was established in 1 January 1857 by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and became Estonia's first daily newspaper in 1891....
, 87.4% of participants out of 10,000 found Savisaar to be inciting conflicts, whereas only 3.9% approved of his behavior.
In relation to Savisaar's reactions to the Bronze Soldier controversy, an online petition website www.mahasavisaar.com was created on 29 April 2007 to suggest resignation of his position as the Mayor of Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. It ended on the 9 May 2007 and had collected 98,200 signatures. In 2009 being a candidate for EP elections collected a 103506 votes in closed list system.
Personal life
Edgar Savisaar has been married three times and is the father of four children. From marriage to Kaire Savisaar he has a son Erki, from marriage to Liis Savisaar a daughter Maria and a son Edgar. The last marriage was to Vilja SavisaarVilja Savisaar
Vilja Savisaar-Toomast is an Estonian politician belonging to the Estonian Centre Party, currently a Member of the European Parliament....
, who is also an Estonian politician. They had a daughter Rosina. The couple announced their separation in December 2009.