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DE RUEHTL #0233/01 0951310
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051310Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9710
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TALLINN 000233 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/NB AND INR/B 
 
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TAGS: PGOV PREL EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA'S NEW GOVERNMENT (PART II): BIOS ON KEY 
OFFICIALS 
 
Ref: A) TALLINN 223 
      B) TALLINN 143 
      C) 05 TALLINN 909 
      D) 06 TALLINN 1131 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  On April 2, the Estonian Reform Party, 
Isamaa and Res Publica Union (IRL), and the Social 
Democratic Party (SDE) officially signed a coalition 
agreement forming the new government.  The three-party 
coalition has 60 seats in the 101-member parliament (Ref 
A).  Prime Minister Andrus Ansip will continue to lead 
the government.  Other Reform Party returnees are 
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Justice Minister Rein 
Lang.  There are several other familiar faces in key 
positions in the cabinet including former Prime Minister 
Juhan Parts (Minister of Economy), Ivari Padar (Minister 
of Finance), and former Tartu University Rector Jaak 
Aaviksoo (Defense Minister).  The one new face is the 
former head of the Security Police, Juri Pihl (Minister 
of Internal Affairs), who has hitherto not been 
politically active.  End Summary. 
 
BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY OFFICIALS 
---------------------------- 
 
Andrus Ansip (Reform), Prime Minister: 
 
¶2. (U) Andrus Ansip has served as Reform Party Chairman 
since November 2004 and as PM since April 2005.  He was 
born in Tartu, Estonia's second largest city, in 1956. 
He graduated from Tartu University with a degree in 
chemistry in 1979 and later attended agronomy courses at 
the Estonian Academy of Agriculture in 1989.  Prior to 
entering politics, Ansip was a highly successfully 
entrepreneur, specializing in banking and investment 
funds.  Over the course of his business career, Ansip 
served as CEO, Trustee, or Board Member of a number of 
enterprises and investment funds.  Although his 
educational background is primarily in the sciences, 
Ansip studied business management at York University in 
Toronto, Canada (1992), and later participated in 
British Council-sponsored training seminars in Brussels, 
Dublin, and Edinburgh (2000). 
 
¶3. (U) In 1998, Ansip entered politics and, as a Reform 
candidate, was elected Mayor of Tartu.  He was a popular 
mayor and served for six years.  In September 2004, he 
stepped down as Mayor of Tartu and joined the Government 
of Juhan Parts as Minister of Economic Affairs and 
Communications.  Shortly thereafter, in November 2004, 
former Prime Minister Siim Kallas stepped down as Reform 
Party Chairman and left Parliament to join the European 
Commission.  Ansip was elected to succeed Kallas.  When 
the Parts government fell in March 2005, then-President 
Arnold Ruutel called on Ansip to establish a new 
coalition.  Ansip formed a new coalition with Reform, 
Center, and People's Union on April 13, 2005.  Most 
pundits thought Ansip was a political lightweight and 
predicted his government would only serve as a caretaker 
government until the next parliamentary elections in 
¶2007.  However, Ansip proved to be a surprisingly 
popular leader, and led his party to electoral success 
this year (Ref B).  Ansip personally received the 
largest number of individual votes in Estonian history. 
 
¶4. (SBU) During his tenure as PM, Ansip has grown in 
political stature.  He is a dynamic leader who has 
consistently supported U.S. foreign policy priorities. 
He is a committed trans-Atlanticist who believes in the 
primacy of NATO's role in European security.  Over the 
last two years, Ansip has personally spoken out in 
support of Estonia's mission in Iraq and Afghanistan, 
often justifying Estonia's presence as repayment for the 
assistance the country received after re-gaining 
independence.  Ansip demonstrated his commitment to 
Estonia's participation in the Global War on Terror with 
trips to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2006 (Ref C & 
D).  Ansip is friendly, accessible and straightforward. 
An avid cross-country skier, he speaks Estonian, 
English, German, and Russian.  He is married and has 
three daughters. 
 
Urmas Paet (Reform), Minister of Foreign Affairs: 
 
¶5. (U) Urmas Paet has served as Minister of Foreign 
Affairs since April 2005.  He was born in Tallinn in 
1974, and later graduated from Tartu University in 1996. 
He also attended courses at Sweden's Lund University in 
 
TALLINN 00000233  002 OF 004 
 
 
Organization Management and at the University of Oslo in 
International Relations.  While still a student, Paet 
worked at Estonian Radio as a foreign news editor from 
1991 to 1994.  He later moved to Postimees, Estonia's 
paper of record, where he worked as a reporter and later 
as senior editor/political reporter from 1994 to 1998. 
 
¶6. (U) Paet entered politics in 1999 as a political 
advisor in the Reform Party.  His first public office 
was as Mayor of Nomme, a suburb of Tallinn.  He served 
as mayor for four years before being elected to 
Parliament with an impressive personal mandate in March 
¶2003.  Following the elections, Paet was appointed 
Minister of Culture in Juhan Parts' government.  When 
Ansip became Prime Minister in 2005, Paet was chosen to 
be Foreign Minister.  He is a member of the Reform 
Party's Board. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Since his days as Mayor of Nomme, Paet's 
popularity with the public and within the party has 
continued to grow.  Capitalizing on the visibility of 
the Foreign Ministry, Paet has cemented his prominence 
at the national level; he received the fifth highest 
number of individual votes in the last elections.  Paet 
is not considered charismatic or outgoing, but is widely 
acknowledged to be an articulate public speaker.  Like 
PM Ansip, Paet is staunchly pro-U.S., pro-NATO, and pro- 
EU.  He participated in an Embassy-sponsored tour of 
NATO in 1998.  He is widely respected in his party and 
possesses a formidable power base of supporters in 
Tallinn.  In addition, Paet is also generally respected 
in the MFA, where he is considered approachable by his 
staff and delegates responsibility widely among the 
MFA's principals.  Paet speaks Estonian, Russian, 
English, German and Finnish.  He is married, and has two 
daughters. 
 
Juhan Parts (IRL), Minister of Economic Affairs and 
Communications: 
 
¶8. (U) Juhan Parts was Prime Minister of Estonia from 
2003 to 2005.  He was born in Tallinn in 1966 and 
graduated from Tartu University with a law degree in 
¶1991.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, prior to 
entering politics, Parts was a career civil servant.  In 
1992, he joined the newly re-established Ministry of 
Justice (MOJ) shortly after graduating from university. 
Despite his young age and lack of professional 
experience, Parts was appointed the MOJ's Deputy 
Secretary General in 1992.  Over the next six years, 
 
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Parts was one of the leaders of Estonian private law 
reform and helped establish Estonia's court and legal 
administration systems.  In 1998, Parts was appointed 
Auditor General, an office he used as a bully pulpit to 
gain national recognition by attacking corruption and 
calling for government reforms.  Parts also worked to 
infuse state administration with greater responsibility, 
transparency and efficiency. 
 
¶9. (SBU) In 2002, Parts joined the upstart center-right, 
"protest" Res Publica Party and became its chairman. 
(Note:  Res Publica was created in 1989 and registered 
as a political party in 2001.  End Note.)  In the 2003 
elections, Res Publica changed the political landscape 
in Estonia, winning 28 seats in Parliament and becoming 
the largest center-right party.  Parts formed a 
coalition government in April 2003 but it floundered 
quickly, beset by indecisiveness, internal divisions and 
scandals.  When the coalition collapsed in 2005, Parts 
returned to Parliament.  (Note:  Under Estonian law, the 
party can replace Members of Parliament with 
substitutes.  End Note.)  Even though Parts' Government 
is often derided for its scandals and collapse, it was 
under his watch that Estonia achieved its primary 
foreign policy goals: membership in both NATO and the 
EU.  Parts speaks Estonian, Russian, and English. 
(Note:  While his English is good, due to his reserved 
character, it can appear halting.  End Note.)  Although 
quiet, Parts is extremely bright with an eye for detail. 
He is divorced and has a son and daughter. In 2005, 
Parts participated in the International Visitors 
Leadership Program (IVLP) on U.S. campaigns and 
politics. 
 
Jaak Aaviksoo (IRL), Minister of Defense: 
 
¶10. (U) Like many others in the cabinet, Aaviksoo is a 
native of Tartu (born in 1954).  He is a trained 
 
TALLINN 00000233  003 OF 004 
 
 
physicist with a B.S. from Tartu University (1976) and a 
Ph.D. from the Estonian Academy of Sciences (1981).  He 
has spent almost his entire career in academia and 
research:  Research Associate at the Physics Institute 
of the Estonian Academy of Sciences (1976-1988); 
Professor of Optics and Spectroscopy at Tartu University 
(1992-2007); Academician at the Estonian Academy of 
Sciences (1994-2007); First Vice-Rector of Tartu 
University (1992-1995); and Rector of Tartu University 
(1998-2007).  Aaviksoo's only stint outside of academia 
was as Minister of Culture and Education (1995-1996) and 
Minister of Education (1996-1997) in Tiit Vahi's 
Government.  From 1981 to 1994, Aaviksoo traveled 
extensively as a visiting professor/scholar to Russia, 
Germany, France, and Japan.  He is a member of the 
Estonian Academy of Sciences and the Academic Council of 
the President of Estonia.  Aaviksoo is an accomplished 
public speaker and a nationally known public 
intellectual.  Over the years, the Embassy has 
maintained a positive relationship with Aaviksoo, 
especially during his time as Rector of Tartu 
University. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Although he is a relative outsider to Estonian 
politics, Aaviksoo is considered ambitious and 
outspoken.  At a party conference in late 2006, Aaviksoo 
narrowly lost out to former Prime Minister Mart Laar to 
be IRL's candidate for Prime Minister.  Since Isamaa and 
Res Publica's merger, Aaviksoo has balked at Laar and 
other senior Isamaa members' tendency to impose their 
hierarchical structure on the merged party.  This has 
created tension within IRL and has pit Aaviksoo against 
old Res Publica comrades like Parts who support Laar. 
In response to his actions, Aaviksoo has been given the 
nickname "Tall Savisaar" within the party. (Note:  This 
is a reference to Tallinn Mayor and Center Party 
Chairman Edgar Savisaar, who is known for his political 
ruthlessness.  End Note.) 
 
Rein Lang (Reform), Minister of Justice 
 
¶12. (U) Rein Lang has been Minister of Justice since 
April 2005.  Born in 1957 in Tartu, Lang lived in 
Finland as a child during the time his father served at 
the Soviet embassy in Helsinki.  Lang graduated from 
Tartu University in 1980 with a Law degree and later 
worked as an attorney.  During re-independence, Lang was 
a legal consultant to Estonia's Constitutional Assembly 
and helped draft the revised Estonian Constitution in 
¶1991.  Following re-independence, Lang founded Estonia's 
first independent radio station in 1992.  Over the next 
several years, Lang built up his broadcasting business 
and became a well-known political commentator on one of 
Estonia's most popular talk-radio programs ("The Mid-day 
Hour").  In 2001, Lang entered politics and served as 
Deputy Mayor of Tallinn for three years.  In 2003, he 
was elected to Parliament and became Chair of the 
Committee on EU Affairs.  In 2005, Lang was briefly 
Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Parts Government 
before becoming Minister of Justice under Ansip.  Lang 
has been a Reform Party member since 1995. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Lang is well known for his fondness for 
Finland and strong support for Estonian-Finnish 
relations.  Lang is widely viewed as one of the previous 
government's best ministers for his efficient leadership 
of the MOJ.  In his own party, Lang is held in high 
esteem; he is often referred to as the "conscience of 
the party."  Over the years, he has been a good contact 
for the Embassy.  He has an open and accessible 
personality and an ironic and dark sense humor.  Lang 
speaks Estonian, Finnish, English and Russian.  Lang 
participated in an Embassy-sponsored NATO tour in 2004 
and a Volunteer Visitor Program (VolvVis) to the United 
States in 2006 on combating terrorism.  He is unmarried, 
but has a daughter from a previous relationship. 
 
Ivari Padar (SDE), Minister of Finance 
 
¶14. (SBU) Ivari Padar has been the SDE Party Chairman 
since 2002.  He was born in 1965 in Voru County, in 
southeastern Estonia.  He completed his studies in 1995 
at the University of Tartu, where he earned a degree in 
history.  After university, Padar worked as a 
transportation worker, a carpenter, and a school 
teacher.   In 1993, Padar entered local politics and was 
elected Deputy Mayor of Voru City.  In 1994, he was 
elected Chairman of the Voru County Farmers Union.  In 
 
TALLINN 00000233  004 OF 004 
 
 
1995, Padar came to Tallinn to serve as Assistant to the 
Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance.  Padar 
 
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served as Minister of Agriculture from 1999 to 2002, 
during Mart Laar's second Government.  In 2003, Padar 
was elected to Parliament. 
 
¶15. (SBU) Padar stands in stark contrast to his 
predecessor, former SDE Chair and current President of 
Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves.  Whereas Ilves was an 
intellectual and a politician of national stature, 
Padar's more humble background has given him the aura of 
being "one of the people".  Padar has carefully 
cultivated this persona in an attempt to broaden his 
party's base of supporters.  His leadership skills are 
often characterized as diligent and simple by SDE 
interlocutors.  However, Padar has a reputation for 
being open and ready to listen to alternate views and 
opinions.  Padar has proven to be a reliable Embassy 
contact.  He is married and has a son and daughter. 
Padar speaks Estonian, Russian, and English.  Padar 
participated in an Embassy-sponsored NATO tour in 2004. 
 
Juri Pihl (SDE), Minister of Internal Affairs: 
 
¶16. (U) Juri Pihl's entire career has been in law 
enforcement and national security.  He was born in 1954 
and has a law degree from Tartu University.  He began 
his career in the Interior Ministry of the Estonian 
Soviet Socialist Republic (ESSR).  After re- 
independence, Pihl is credited with being the driving 
force behind the creation of Estonia's Security Police 
(KAPO, an independent agency responsible for national 
security) in 1993.  Pihl served as KAPO's first Director 
General for ten years.  In 2003, Pihl left the Security 
Police to become a State Prosecutor.  Since 2005, he has 
served as Secretary General in the Ministry of Justice. 
Pihl has been a good contact for the Embassy.  In 2006, 
he participated in a VolVis program to the United States 
on combating terrorism. 
 
¶17. (SBU) Over his long career, Pihl has carefully 
avoided politics, earning him a reputation as a highly 
professional civil servant respected across party lines. 
As a result, SDE's decision to nominate him was 
considered quite surprising among political pundits. 
(Note. Pihl officially registered as a member of the SDE 
only on April 2.  End Note.)  The press has dubbed Pihl 
"the most informed man in the country" due to his long 
career in the security/intelligence community.  Pihl 
speaks Estonian, Russian, and English.  He has a grown 
daughter from a previous marriage. 
 
GOLDSTEIN