Siim Kallas

Siim Kallas
European Commissioner for Transport
In office 9 February 2010 – 1 November 2014
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Antonio Tajani
Succeeded by	Violeta Bulc
European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud
In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Neil Kinnock (Administrative Reform)
Succeeded by	Maroš Šefčovič (Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration) Algirdas Šemeta (Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud)
European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs
In office 1 May 2004 – 22 November 2004 Served with Joaquín Almunia
President	Romano Prodi
Preceded by	Pedro Solbes
Succeeded by	Joaquín Almunia
Prime Minister of Estonia
In office 28 January 2002 – 10 April 2003
President	Arnold Rüütel
Preceded by	Mart Laar
Succeeded by	Juhan Parts
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 9 November 1995 – 21 November 1996
Prime Minister	Tiit Vähi
Preceded by	Riivo Sinijärv
Succeeded by	Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Personal details
Born	(1948-10-02) 2 October 1948 Tallinn, Estonia
Political party	Communist Party (Before 1991) Reform Party (1994–present)
Alma mater	University of Tartu

Siim Kallas (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈsiːm ˈkɑlˑɑs]; born 2 October 1948 in Tallinn) is an Estonian politician, who most recently served as European Commissioner for Transport between 2010 and 2014. Before that he was European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud between 2004 and 2009. In both Barroso Commissions he was also vice-president.

Kallas has been Prime Minister of Estonia, Estonian Minister of Finance, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Member of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union and member of the Riigikogu. Kallas is a member and former leader of the free-market liberal Estonian Reform Party. Kallas was a vice-president of Liberal International.

He was twice appointed Acting Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro in Olli Rehn's stead, from 19 April 2014 – 25 May 2014 while he was on electoral campaign leave for the 2014 elections to the European Parliament and from 1 July 2014 – 16 July 2014 after he took up his seat.

Education

• 1966–1969 Budget and Finance, University of Tartu, B.Sc.
• 1969–1972 Junior Sergeant, Soviet Armed Forces Corps of Signals.
• 1972–1974 Economics of environmental protection, University of Tartu, M.Sc.
• 1974-1977 Economics of environmental protection, University of Tartu, Kandidat Nauk (PhD).

Career

• 1969-1972 : Signals officer in Soviet Army
• 1975–1979: Specialist at the Finance Ministry Planning Committee of the Estonian SSR
• 1979–1986: Joint Secretary of the Central Authority of the Savings Banks of the Estonian SSR.
• 1986–1989: Deputy chief editor of the Communist Party of Estonia newspaper Rahva Hääl
• 1989–1991: Chairman of the Central Union of the Estonian Trade Unions
• 1989–1991: Member of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union
• 1991–1995: President of the Bank of Estonia
• 1995–2004: Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia
• 1995–1996: Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 1996: Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
• 1999–2002: Minister of Finance
• 2002–2003: Prime minister
• 2004–2004: EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, serving with Joaquín Almunia
• 2004–2010: EU Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud and Vice-president of the Commission
• 2010–2014: EU Commissioner for Transport and Vice-president of the Commission

Personal life

Siim Kallas at the electromobility summit 2013 in Berlin

Language skills: Active: Estonian (mother tongue), English (primary working language), Russian (secondary working language), Finnish, German. Passive: French. Married to doctor Kristi Kallas; one son and one daughter Kaja, who is a member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu). The ancestors of Siim Kallas were of Estonian and Baltic German origin. Kallas has been an active participant in the restoration of Estonian statehood.

External link and sources

• Siim Kallas, Official Media Gallery
• Official website
• KALLAS Siim International Who's Who
• European Parliament Answers to Commissioner Designate M. Kallas

Political offices
Preceded by Rein Otsason	Chairperson of the Bank of Estonia 1991–1995	Succeeded by Vahur Kraft
Preceded by Riivo Sinijärv	Minister of Foreign Affairs 1995–1996	Succeeded by Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Preceded by Niels Helveg Petersen	Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe 1996	Succeeded by Tarja Halonen
Preceded by Mart Opmann	Minister of Finance 1999–2002	Succeeded by Harri Õunapuu
Preceded by Mart Laar	Prime Minister of Estonia 2002–2003	Succeeded by Juhan Parts
New office	Estonian European Commissioner 2004–2014	Succeeded by Andrus Ansip
Preceded by Pedro Solbes	European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs 2004 Served alongside: Joaquín Almunia	Succeeded by Joaquín Almunia
Preceded by Neil Kinnock as European Commissioner for Administrative Reform	European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud 2004–2010	Succeeded by Maroš Šefčovič as European Commissioner for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration
		Succeeded by Algirdas Šemeta as European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud
Preceded by Antonio Tajani	European Commissioner for Transport 2010–2014	Succeeded by Violeta Bulc