In light of the current Russian-Ukrainian military conflict, we have noticed that the head of government of a small Eastern European country on Russia’s side is doing a good job. He is bravely discussing security issues with world leaders regarding Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Many reputable tabloids highlight him as the savior of the world from the evil Russian bear.
Yes, we’re indeed referring to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. However, this article aims to steer away from the glorified narrative and take a more critical look at her policies and decisions.
Kaja Kallas, the current head of government in Estonia and leader of the liberal Reform Party, is part of a party that has held power in Estonia for two decades, solidifying its influence and control over the country.
The crisis in Ukraine has been an excellent opportunity for the Reform Party to raise its rating, and the crisis has been put to work in its favor. In the Estonian mainstream media, Kaja Kallas is sowing the fear of war, that Estonia is essentially at war with Russia, and that the only lifeline is the Reform Party with Kaja Kallas and her government. Many Estonians believe this. Also, the national web portals of the Republic of Estonia are anointed blue and yellow, and both the police and the defense forces wear blue and yellow insignia on their uniforms in support of the war in Ukraine. The colors of the Ukrainian flag can be seen everywhere in the country, both as flags and as lights. All this is nice and looks noble, but these colors are playing on the psyche of the population, as the colors of the Reform Party are also identical to those of the Ukrainian flag. This is an excellent opportunity to spread the Reform Party’s election advertising daily and everywhere in Estonia. Kaja Kallas urges the Estonian people to support Ukraine in all ways. To this end, she is investing much public money into helping war refugees and Ukraine. That is also a very noble thing to do, and, of course, the refugees must be helped, but, unfortunately, 400 000 out of a population of 1.3 million live in relative poverty in Estonia, and this kind of wasteful behavior on behalf of strangers angers the poorer Estonians who live here. Over 200,000 Estonians have left the country because of the low national wage and non-existent social systems. Those who have emigrated from the country choose the Nordic countries of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, where wages are twice as high.
In its 20 years in power, the Reform Party has driven tentacles deep into the state apparatus. The Reform Party controls most state institutions, national security, and the media. The biggest security mistake Kallas is making is to disarm the Estonian state by giving away most of Estonia’s arms and ammunition to Ukraine. At the same time, he is sowing Russophobia and thus inciting Russia to disarm Estonia. Mr Kallas emphasizes NATO defense, but as a frontline state and unarmed, the NATO units in the country do not feel secure either.
Indeed, dear readers, you may wonder how a person making so many leadership mistakes could be in charge of a country, especially at such an anxious time. To understand this, we must go back in time and examine how Kaja Kallas ascended to Prime Minister of Estonia.
Kaja Kallas’s father, Siim Kallas, was a prominent figure in Soviet Estonia, holding prestigious positions such as Head of the Estonian General Administration of Savings Banks from 1979 to 1986 and Deputy Editor of the newspaper Rahva Hääl from 1986 to 1989. Siim Kallas was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1972 to 1990. After the independence of the Republic of Estonia in 1991-1995, Siim Kallas served as Governor of Eesti Pank and led the preparation of the monetary reform and the re-launch of the Estonian kroon.
Siim Kallas was the president of the Bank of Estonia when, in 1993, Villa Paradiso invested $10 million (130 million Estonian croons at the exchange rate of the time) received from the Bank of Northern Estonia, of which $2 million was returned. Siim Callas was also charged with failing to invest. Siim Kallas and his adviser from the days of Eesti Pank, Urmas Kaju, were acquitted in 2000 in the $10 million affair. The Supreme Court partially overturned Kallas’s acquittal and sent part of the indictment back to the Tallinn City Court for trial. The court had to reopen the case against Kallas for making false statements to Eesti Pank’s auditor. The City Court acquitted Kallas again, but the trial had to continue in the District Court. On 23 October 2000, the State Prosecutor General, Raivo Sepp, banned the prosecution from appealing the case.
In 1994, Siim Kallas entered politics and founded the Reform Party. In the same year, President Lennart Meri put him forward to the Riigikogu as a candidate for Prime Minister. Still, Siim Kallas failed to garner enough votes in the Riigikogu to form a government. The new party was successful in the parliamentary elections of March 1995 and was thus one of the partners in the governing coalition. Siim Kallas held the portfolio of Foreign Minister. In subsequent governments, he served as Minister of Finance (1999-2002) and Prime Minister (2002-2003). He was Vice-President of the Liberal International.
After resigning as Prime Minister, Mr Kallas was a member of the Riigikogu until 1 May 2004, when he was appointed European Commissioner without portfolio in the field of economic and monetary affairs under Pedro Solbes Mira and later Joaquín Alumina. From 2004 to 2014, Siim Kallas was Vice-President of the European Commission. As Commissioner for Administration, he became known for designing and implementing the European Transparency Initiative (ETI). As Commissioner for Transport from 2010 to 2014, he led the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) planning and the adoption of the corresponding laws and regulations in 2013. Funding for TEN-T increased fourfold.
Kallas is seen as a liberal on economic policy, in the spirit of the Wall Street Journal and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Siim Kallas is a member of the VIII, IX, X, and XIV Riigikogu.
Siim Kallas passed on the baton to his daughter Kaja Kallas to continue to run the liberal dictatorship-like Republic of Estonia as a sizeable joint-stock company whose sole beneficiaries are the Reform Party and its loyal followers.
Without Siim Kallas’ life’s work, Kaja Kallas would not be what she is today, and the Reform Party dictatorship would not rule Estonia.
