What is known about future head of EU diplomacy and why she "eats Russians for breakfast"
It is hard to imagine a more anti-Russian and, more importantly, pro-Ukrainian candidate for the position of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy than Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. She will replace Spaniard Josep Borrell in this position with the support of the European Parliament.
Just the news has caused an outpouring of venom in the Kremlin, where she was reminded of her "rabid Russophobia" and lamented the lack of expectations for improved relations.
Not only is she banned from entering Russia, a distinction shared by most sensible EU politicians, but she is also the first head of government officially wanted by Moscow.
Read more about the politician from the small Baltic country whose voice has become so significant in the West in the article by Ivanna Kostina, a European Pravda journalist – The Russophobe trusted by Europe: What to expect from Kaja Kallas at the helm of EU diplomacy.
Kaja Kallas was born in Tallinn on 18 June 1977. Her father, Siim Kallas, played a central role in Estonia's independence movement and was the president of the country's central bank. He was also the Prime Minister of Estonia from 2002 to 2003 and a European Commissioner from 2004 to 2014.
When Kallas, a lawyer, decided to enter politics and was elected to the Estonian parliament a year later, the press commented that she would likely never fill her father's shoes.
In 2014, the year of Crimea's annexation and the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, Kallas was elected to the European Parliament from the liberal Reform Party (founded by her father). There, she quickly became a leading European expert on new digital technologies and regulations, as well as EU-Ukraine relations.
Kallas returned to Tallinn in April 2018 after winning the leadership of the Reform Party and became Estonia's first female prime minister in January 2021, leading a coalition with the left-centrist Centre Party.
Amid strong public support for the Estonian government's policies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the prime minister's ratings soared to record levels. Kallas became the first head of government to be listed as wanted by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs on criminal charges.
The Estonian prime minister has even gained the reputation of someone who "eats Russians for breakfast."
Overall, Kallas has led the Estonian government three times. Her government passed a bill legalising same-sex marriages and adoption, making Estonia the first Baltic country and the first former Soviet-occupied country to legalise same-sex marriages.
Equally important was the decision, the first in the EU, to use frozen Russian assets to compensate Ukraine for damages.
However, not everything went smoothly in Estonia's domestic politics. The prime minister's popularity took a significant hit last summer, following a scandal involving her husband, Arvo Hallik. Estonian media discovered that a transport company partially owned by her husband continued to carry cargo to Russia during the war in Ukraine.
Subsequently, due to accumulated domestic issues, Kallas' position as prime minister became shaky.
Therefore, transitioning to a prestigious European position seemed like the best option for her, especially considering that foreign policy has been Kallas' strongest suit.
Kaja Kallas' selection as the head of European diplomacy indicates a clear understanding by the European Union that Russia remains a long-term strategic threat and that Ukraine, now an EU candidate, which has opened negotiations, will remain a priority for the community for a long time.