Rein Lang
Encyclopedia
Rein Lang is an Estonia
n politician, a member of the Estonian Reform Party
since 1995, and a diplomat
. He is currently serving as the Minister of Culture.
. His father was appointed to work at the Soviet
embassy in Helsinki
; consequently, Rein Lang grew up partly in Finland
, becoming a fluent speaker of Finnish
. He has championed Finnish-Estonian relations. Lang received elementary and high school education in Tallinn English College
(then known as 7th High School of Tallinn) and graduated cum laude from the University of Tartu
in 1980, acquiring a degree in law
.
Lang cohabits
with Ulvi Kuusk, whom he met in 1979, and as of 2007 has one teenage daughter.
, starting in 1986, Lang worked in the entertainment business. He was a deputy director of the Linnahall
and in 1989 became a deputy director of the club 'Muusik' (Estonian
for 'Musician'). In 1990, he became CEO of AS Laulusillad (Estonian
for Song Bridges), and from 1991–2001 served at various positions in AS TRIO along with Hans H. Luik, establishing and running the first politically independent radio
station in post-Soviet Estonia, Radio Kuku
. Over the next several years, Lang launched two more radio stations: Radio Uuno, a music-only radio station, and the Russian language
Radio Tallinn (later renamed Radio 100). In 2002, Lang and Luik sold their radio interest to their then co-partner from the United States
, Metromedia International Group Inc.
During his years at Radio Kuku
, Lang regularly appeared on talk show
s, gaining considerable reputation as a political commentator. His most popular programme, the weekly 'Midday Hour' , has become legendary, and a subject of a number of jokes mostly associated with Valdo Jahilo. 'Of the state of the state' was also popular.
Following his departure from the media business, Lang served as deputy mayor of Tallinn
from 2001 to 2003 and was a member of Riigikogu
from 2003 to 2005. He served as the Deputy Speaker of Riigikogu and Chairman of its European Affairs Committee. In 2005, Lang was the Minister of Foreign Affairs
for two months, from February to April. With the resignation of Juhan Parts
, the prime minister
at that time, a new cabinet was proposed by Andrus Ansip
; there, Lang served as the Minister of Justice
, a position he officially took when the new cabinet took an oath on April 12, 2005. As the Estonian Minister of Justice
, Lang was involved in the Constitutional Pilsener
project.
From May 21, 2009 to June 4, 2009 he was also the acting Minister of Internal Affairs.
bish attitude towards the press, exemplified by an email
response in which Lang asked a county newspaper's correspondent to "not bother" him with any more requests for information. Lang has disputed this characterisation, and implied that Toomas Leito, leader of the Estonian Newspaper Association, was following a policy of "lynching Negroes"
.
commentary, was widely criticised and ended up rejected by the Riigikogu
. Among other concerns, critics commonly pointed out that Delfi belonged to a media concern competing with AS TRIO, and questioned the minister's neutrality. The bill became law in June 2006.
The first lawsuit involving the Delfi bill was brought by Leo Pulst in late 2008.
, an award-winning anti-fascist drama
by Pip Utton
, featuring a Nazi banner as a stage prop
. In an additional note on the invitation Lang pointed out that the event was not intended as a fancy dress party
; specifically, guests would not be expected to arrive in uniforms or bearing Nazi symbols. The Russian media spun
this event as the minister "decorating his birthday with swastika
s", citing an Estonian newspaper which recalled a scandal that happened three years ago, when Prince Harry had a swastika on his sleeve during a birthday party.
This distortion was widely covered in the Estonian news media. The Nochnoy Dozor group has, in Russia
n media, made calls for the Minister of Justice to resign over the event. In an explanatory opinion article, Lang stated "The Republic of Estonia has condemned Nazi crimes and my birthday was attended by people who, without exception, despise fascism." Trivimi Velliste
, speaking on TV3
, has called Russian media's distorted coverage of this incident a case of psychological warfare
.
was edited by a user identifying as "Kairioun", removing a large section on Lang's birthday controversy. After these deletions were consistently reverted, another user by the alias of Gerog112 performed a similar deletion many times, resulting in a 24-hour restriction of editing privileges (sometimes mistakenly reported as a three-month restriction), and made a number of bizarre statements in Estonian. News media quickly traced the user Kairioun to Kairi Õun, an advisor of Lang, leading to considerable coverage of the incident, which Henrik Roonemaa, in an analysis session in Tehnokratt
, dubbed "Wikigate". Gerog112's real life identity remains unknown. The resulting publicity attracted a number of new Estonian editors to Wikipedia.
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, a member of the Estonian Reform Party
Estonian Reform Party
The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature...
since 1995, and a diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. He is currently serving as the Minister of Culture.
Personal life
Lang was born at TartuTartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
. His father was appointed to work at the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
embassy in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
; consequently, Rein Lang grew up partly in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, becoming a fluent speaker of Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
. He has championed Finnish-Estonian relations. Lang received elementary and high school education in Tallinn English College
Tallinn English College
Tallinn English College is a co-educational general education school in Tallinn, Estonia with in depth education in the English language. It has elementary, middle and senior levels with students aged from 7 to 18.-History:...
(then known as 7th High School of Tallinn) and graduated cum laude from the University of Tartu
University 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 1980, acquiring a degree in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
.
Lang cohabits
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
with Ulvi Kuusk, whom he met in 1979, and as of 2007 has one teenage daughter.
Career
In the later years of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, starting in 1986, Lang worked in the entertainment business. He was a deputy director of the Linnahall
Linnahall
Linnahall is a concert/sports venue in Tallinn, Estonia. It is situated on the harbour, just beyond the walls of the Old Town and was completed in 1980....
and in 1989 became a deputy director of the club 'Muusik' (Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
for 'Musician'). In 1990, he became CEO of AS Laulusillad (Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
for Song Bridges), and from 1991–2001 served at various positions in AS TRIO along with Hans H. Luik, establishing and running the first politically independent radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station in post-Soviet Estonia, Radio Kuku
Radio Kuku
Radio Kuku is an Estonian radio station. It was the first politically independent privately owned radio station in post-occupation Estonia, established in 1992 by a media businessman and later politician Rein Lang and a founder of the first politically independent newspaper Eesti Ekspress, Hans H...
. Over the next several years, Lang launched two more radio stations: Radio Uuno, a music-only radio station, and the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
Radio Tallinn (later renamed Radio 100). In 2002, Lang and Luik sold their radio interest to their then co-partner from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Metromedia International Group Inc.
During his years at Radio Kuku
Radio Kuku
Radio Kuku is an Estonian radio station. It was the first politically independent privately owned radio station in post-occupation Estonia, established in 1992 by a media businessman and later politician Rein Lang and a founder of the first politically independent newspaper Eesti Ekspress, Hans H...
, Lang regularly appeared on talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s, gaining considerable reputation as a political commentator. His most popular programme, the weekly 'Midday Hour' , has become legendary, and a subject of a number of jokes mostly associated with Valdo Jahilo. 'Of the state of the state' was also popular.
Following his departure from the media business, Lang served as deputy 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...
from 2001 to 2003 and was a member of Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
from 2003 to 2005. He served as the Deputy Speaker of Riigikogu and Chairman of its European Affairs Committee. In 2005, Lang was the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the senior minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Estonian Government. The Minister is one of the most important members of the Estonian government, with responsibility for the relations between Estonia and foreign states.The Foreign Minister is...
for two months, from February to April. With the resignation of Juhan Parts
Juhan Parts
Juhan Parts is an Estonian politician who was Prime Minister of Estonia from 2003 to 2005. He was chairman of the Res Publica Party for a time. Since 5 April 2007 he is the Minister of Economy and Communication in Andrus Ansip's second government...
, the prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
at that time, a new cabinet was proposed by 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:...
; there, Lang served as the Minister of Justice
Estonian Minister of Justice
The Estonian Ministry of Justice is Ministry of Justice in Estonia., the current Minister of Justice is Kristen Michal.- Estonian Ministers of Justice :...
, a position he officially took when the new cabinet took an oath on April 12, 2005. As the Estonian Minister of Justice
Estonian Minister of Justice
The Estonian Ministry of Justice is Ministry of Justice in Estonia., the current Minister of Justice is Kristen Michal.- Estonian Ministers of Justice :...
, Lang was involved in the Constitutional Pilsener
Constitutional Pilsener
The Constitutional Pilsener is a beer brand brewed by A. Le Coq in celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of Estonia's 1992 constitution and introduced in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Justice....
project.
From May 21, 2009 to June 4, 2009 he was also the acting Minister of Internal Affairs.
Ministry of Culture controversy
Speaking on the Midday Hour programme, Lang said "The Ministry of Culture can only be tidied up by a grenade, thrown in through its window." The quip proved controversial.Press enemy of 2004
In 2004, the Estonian Newspaper Association labelled Lang the 'Year's Press Enemy'. The explanation provided in the press release cited Lang's snobSnob
A snob is someone who believes that some people are inherently inferior to him or her for any one of a variety of reasons, including real or supposed intellect, wealth, education, ancestry, taste, beauty, nationality, et cetera. Often, the form of snobbery reflects the snob's personal attributes...
bish attitude towards the press, exemplified by an email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
response in which Lang asked a county newspaper's correspondent to "not bother" him with any more requests for information. Lang has disputed this characterisation, and implied that Toomas Leito, leader of the Estonian Newspaper Association, was following a policy of "lynching Negroes"
And you are lynching Negroes
"And you are lynching Negroes" is an anecdotal counter-argument phrase often used by the Soviet propaganda in response to allegations that Soviet Union had violated human rights...
.
Controversial "Delfi bill"
In autumn of 2005, Lang initiated a bill that would have allowed penalising web portals for anonymous comments left by their visitors. The bill, nicknamed the "Delfi bill" after an Estonian web portal commonly associated with poorly-thought-out and scatologicalScatology
In medicine and biology, scatology or coprology is the study of feces.Scatological studies allow one to determine a wide range of biological information about a creature, including its diet , healthiness, and diseases such as tapeworms. The word derives from the Greek σκώρ In medicine and biology,...
commentary, was widely criticised and ended up rejected by the Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
. Among other concerns, critics commonly pointed out that Delfi belonged to a media concern competing with AS TRIO, and questioned the minister's neutrality. The bill became law in June 2006.
The first lawsuit involving the Delfi bill was brought by Leo Pulst in late 2008.
Birthday party controversy
On July 4, 2007, Rein Lang celebrated his 50th birthday at a beer restaurant in Tartu, Estonia. The party featured a performance of the play AdolfAdolf (drama)
Adolf is a critically acclaimed monodrama written by a British actor and playwright Pip Utton in 1997 , and in its latest form, first produced in 2002...
, an award-winning anti-fascist drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
by Pip Utton
Pip Utton
Pip Utton is a British actor and playwright known for a number of plays, including the award-winning Adolf, and . As one of the leading solo performers of United Kingdom, most of his plays are monodramas, performable by a single actor...
, featuring a Nazi banner as a stage prop
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
. In an additional note on the invitation Lang pointed out that the event was not intended as a fancy dress party
Fancy Dress Party
The Fancy Dress Party is a political party in England. They were formed in 1979 as a frivolous alternative to the mainstream electoral parties, and can be seen as a forerunner of the more prominent Official Monster Raving Loony Party...
; specifically, guests would not be expected to arrive in uniforms or bearing Nazi symbols. The Russian media spun
Spin (public relations)
In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...
this event as the minister "decorating his birthday with swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
s", citing an Estonian newspaper which recalled a scandal that happened three years ago, when Prince Harry had a swastika on his sleeve during a birthday party.
This distortion was widely covered in the Estonian news media. The Nochnoy Dozor group has, in Russia
Russia
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 media, made calls for the Minister of Justice to resign over the event. In an explanatory opinion article, Lang stated "The Republic of Estonia has condemned Nazi crimes and my birthday was attended by people who, without exception, despise fascism." Trivimi Velliste
Trivimi Velliste
Trivimi Velliste is an Estonian politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992 to 1994 and as the Estonian Ambassador to the United Nations from 1994 to 1998...
, speaking on TV3
TV3 (Estonia)
TV3 is a commercial television channel targeted at an Estonian language audience owned by Viasat . It was founded in 1996 after two recent television stations, EVTV and RTV joined....
, has called Russian media's distorted coverage of this incident a case of psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
.
"Wikigate" incident
On July 23, 2007, Lang's article on WikipediaWikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
was edited by a user identifying as "Kairioun", removing a large section on Lang's birthday controversy. After these deletions were consistently reverted, another user by the alias of Gerog112 performed a similar deletion many times, resulting in a 24-hour restriction of editing privileges (sometimes mistakenly reported as a three-month restriction), and made a number of bizarre statements in Estonian. News media quickly traced the user Kairioun to Kairi Õun, an advisor of Lang, leading to considerable coverage of the incident, which Henrik Roonemaa, in an analysis session in Tehnokratt
Tehnokratt
Tehnokratt is a multimodal publication in Estonia hosted by Peeter Marvet and known for its technopolitical analysis. Its weekly radio output is hosted by Radio Kuku.- External links :*...
, dubbed "Wikigate". Gerog112's real life identity remains unknown. The resulting publicity attracted a number of new Estonian editors to Wikipedia.
External links
- Official blog, sponsored by the Estonian Reform PartyEstonian Reform PartyThe Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature...
- A news item by Rossiya, the national TV channel of Russian Federation.