Anzori Barkalaja (born 19 March 1968) is an Estonian folklorist. [1]
Anzori Barkalaja was born in Dushanbe, Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (now, Tajikistan) to a Mingrelian father and an Estonian mother. After his parents divorced, he moved to Estonia with his mother. He graduated from the University of Tartu, where defended his doctoral dissertation in folklore. [2]
In 2000-2015 he was the head of the Viljandi Culture Academy. [1] In 2014, he was awarded with Order of the White Star, IV class. [3] He has been chairman of the Estonian neopagan organisation Maavalla Koda. [4]
In 2018, he was one of the founders of the Estonian Biodiversity Party, but announced his departure from the party on 3 January 2019. [5]
The demographics of Estonia in the 21st century result from historical trends over more than a thousand years, as with most European countries, but have been disproportionately influenced by events in the second half of the 20th century. The Soviet occupation (1944–1991), extensive immigration from Russia and other parts of the former USSR, and the eventual restoration of independence of Estonia, have all had a major effect on Estonia's current ethnic makeup.
Politics in Estonia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in the Estonian parliament. Executive power is exercised by the government, which is led by the prime minister. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Estonia is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, and NATO.
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway is the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne. He is the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja.
Siim Kallas is a Soviet and Estonian politician, former Prime Minister of Estonia, and former European Commissioner, as well as a former member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He served as the European Commissioner for Transport between 2010 and 2014. Before that he was the European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud between 2004 and 2009. In both Barroso Commissions he was also a Vice-President. He was twice appointed the Acting Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro in Olli Rehn's stead, from 19 April 2014 to 25 May 2014 while he was on electoral campaign leave for the 2014 elections to the European Parliament and from 1 July 2014 to 16 July 2014 after he took up his seat.
Arnold Rüütel is an Estonian politician. He was the third President of Estonia from 8 October 2001 to 9 October 2006. Rüütel was the second president of the country after the end of the 1944–1991 Soviet occupation, and the restoration of the independent Republic of Estonia on 20 August 1991.
The Estonian Centre Party is a populist political party in Estonia. It was founded in 1991 as a direct successor of the Popular Front of Estonia, and it is currently led by Mihhail Kõlvart.
The Estonian Reform Party is a liberal political party in Estonia. The party has been led by Kaja Kallas since 2018. It is colloquially known as the "Squirrel Party".
Edgar Savisaar was an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the Centre Party. He served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, and twice mayor of Tallinn.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Estonia since 1 January 2024. The government elected in the March 2023 election, led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and consisting of the Reform Party, the Social Democrats and Estonia 200, vowed to legalize same-sex marriage. Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples was introduced to the Riigikogu in May 2023, and was approved in a final reading by 55 votes to 34 on 20 June. It was signed into law by President Alar Karis on 27 June, and took effect on 1 January 2024. Estonia was the first Baltic state and the 20th country in Europe to legalise same-sex marriage.
Jüri Ratas is an Estonian politician who was the 18th prime minister of Estonia from 2016 to 2021. He was the Leader of the Centre Party from 2016 to 2023, and was the mayor of Tallinn from 2005 to 2007.
Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko is an Estonian football coach and former player who currently manages Gambian side Real de Banjul. Zahovaiko played for several professional clubs and was also a member of the Estonian national team.
Urmas Reinsalu is an Estonian politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2022 to 2023 and previously from 2019 to 2021. Before that, Urmas has served as the Minister of Defence between 2012 and 2014, and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2019. Reinsalu is a member and current leader of the Isamaa ("Fatherland") political party, and was the party leader from 2012 to 2015.
Joonas Tamm is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bulgarian First League side Botev Plovdiv and the Estonia national team.
Mart Helme is an Estonian politician, diplomat and musician who served as the Minister of the Interior from 2019 to 2020. He was the long time chairman of the national conservative Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) from 13 April 2013 to 4 July 2020 when he was succeeded by his son Martin Helme.
Kaja Kallas is an Estonian politician who has been prime minister of Estonia since 2021, and is the first woman to serve in the role. The leader of the Reform Party since 2018, she was a member of parliament (Riigikogu) in 2011–2014, and 2019–2021. Kallas was a member of the European Parliament in 2014–2018, representing the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. Before her election to Riigikogu, she was a lawyer specialising in European competition law.
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 3 March 2019. The newly elected 101 members of the 14th Riigikogu assembled at Toompea Castle in Tallinn within ten days of the election. The Reform Party remained the largest party, gaining four seats for a total of 34 and the Conservative People's Party had the largest gain overall, increasing their seat count by 12 to a total of 19 seats.
Jüri Ratas's second cabinet was the 50th cabinet of Estonia, in office from 29 April 2019 to 14 January 2021. It was a centre-right coalition cabinet of the Centre Party, right-wing populist Conservative People's Party (EKRE) and conservative Isamaa.
Mihhail Kõlvart is an Estonian politician currently serving as the leader of the Centre Party since 2023. He is the current mayor of Tallinn, Estonia, a position he has held since April 2019, after the resignation of Taavi Aas.
Karl Jakob Hein is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Arsenal and the Estonia national team.
Alar Karis is an Estonian molecular geneticist, developmental biologist, civil servant and politician who, since 11 October 2021, has served as the sixth president of Estonia.