Andrus Ansip

File:Antsip.jpg

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip

Andrus Ansip (born 1 October 1956), is the current Prime Minister of Estonia, and leader of the Estonian Reform Party (Estonian: Reformierakond).

Early Life and Career

Born in Tartu, Ansip graduated from the University of Tartu with a diploma in Chemistry in 1979. Before entering into politics, Ansip was involved in banking and investment. He has served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the People’s Bank of Tartu (Estonian: Rahvapank), Chairman of the Board of Livonia Privatization IF, and CEO of Investment Fund Broker Ltd (Estonian: Fondiinvesteeringu Maakler AS). He also has served as Chairman of the board for Radio Tartu.

Lord Mayor of Tartu

In 1998, Ansip was elected as Lord Mayor of Tartu as a candidate of the market radical Reformierakond (Reform Party), a position in which he held until 2004, to great popular acclaim and very high ratings in the opinion polls. He had run in previous elections for the Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament, but had always given up his seat in order to stay Mayor.

Chairman of Reformierakond and Minister of Economics

However, in 2004, Ansip became Chairman of Reformierakond because the party's founder and most important figure, former Prime Minister Siim Kallas, had become EU Commissioner and Vice President and thus had to move to Brussels. Since then, it was obvious that Ansip would have to move to Tallinn, and a chance opened up when the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications in the coalition government of Juhan Parts (which included the Reformierakond) had to resign. Ansip became his successor. His track record as Minister is more difficult to evaluate because of the short duration of his service.

Prime Minister

On 4 April 2005, Ansip was charged by President Arnold Rüütel to form a government, following the 24 March 2005 resignation by Prime Minister Juhan Parts. Ansip was able to form a coalition with Keskerakond ("Center Party", populist) and Rahvaliit ("Peoples' Party", rural), which was approved by the Riigikogu on 12 April 2005. Ansip thus became Prime Minister of Estonia. He was backed by 53 out of 101 members of the Estonian parliament; forty deputies voting against.

The Cabinet

The new cabinet, approved by the Riigikogu on 12 April 2005, looks as follows:

Reformierakond

• Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
• Secretary of State Urmas Paet (former Minister of Culture; journalist)
• Secretary of Defense Jaak Jõerüüt
• Attorney General Rein Lang
• Secretary of National Affairs Paul-Eerik Rummo (formerly in this position; poet)

Keskerakond

• Secretary of Economics and Communications Edgar Savisaar (former Prime Minister and Lord Mayor of Tallinn; leader of the Keskerakond)
• Secretary of Culture Raivo Palmaru
• Secretary of Social Affairs Jaak Aab
• Interior Secretary Kalle Laanet
• Minister of Education and Science Mailis Reps (held this position previously)

Rahvaliit

• Secretary of the Environment Villu Reiljan (held this position previously)
• Secretary of Agriculture Ester Tuiksoo
• Finance Secretary Aivar Sõerd
• Secretary of Regional Affairs Jaan Õunapuu (held this position previously)

The general consensus in the Estonian media seems to be that the new cabinet, on the level of competence, is not necessarily an improvement over the old one, with the exception of the key positions Attorney General and Secretary of Finance. The new government is colloquially called the "Garlic Coalition", because the agreement between the party leaders was reached at the Tallinn restaurant "Balthasar", which specializes in garlic dishes.

==Related story about the leader of the Reformist Party fraction in Estonian Parliament, published in the Estonian newspaper "Postimees"==

Related story about the leader of the Reformist Party fraction in Estonian Parliament Peep Aru, and other member of that fraction, Toomas Tein. Andrus Ansip became Prime Minister, after the previous Prime Minister, Juhan Parts, from Res-Publica party, stepped back, stating that it was impossible to work together with the Reformist Party. Some claim, that the Reformist Party gets its supporters from these parts of the population, that get a benefit from corruption.

Estonian newspaper Postimees, 11.04.2005 [1]

Toomas Tein and Peep Aru from the Estonian Parliament raged in bar

In Sunday night, Members of the Reformist Party fraction of the Estonian Parliament, Toomas Tein and Peep Aru, being drunk, raged in the bar "Võitlev Sõna" (in Tallinn), because of what the police arrested them.

The representative of the North police district, Helin Taal, said to BNS, that police started a criminal case against Toomas Tein and Peep Aru for offending the representatives of the authority, and also considers a case for violation of the public order.

In Sunday night 23.56, the security office Falck received a call from the bar "Võitlev Sõna" in Tallinn, Pärnu highway, where two men refused to pay, called names, used obscene language, and acted aggressively.

The security patrol established that the men were extremely drunk. The men did not follow the orders, so that an another patrol had to come to help.

When the other patrol arrived, one of the men did pay the bill, When the patrol started to carry the men out, they struggled, so the men had to be put in handcuffs.

The police came and found, that the men are put to lay down, and are in handcuffs, but are still very aggressive, police established a heavy drukenness.

The men started to call names, calling the policemen "militia", "misbegotten bastards", and offended them, using an obscene language.

Also the men boasted, that they are members of the Estonian parliament, and that they know the police chief Robert Antropov, and the Internal Affairs Minister.

Being handcuffed, the men were put into car, and carried to police office, where the ambulance was called, because one of the men had a head wound.

Up to the arrival of the ambulance, the men continued calling names, threatening, using obscene language, and boasting with the people they know. The men shouted together "Antropov! Antropov!". When the ambulance arrived, the man with head wound refused the medical help, saying to the doctor "go to ass".

The police carried the men to alcohol detection in Wismari narcology clinic, but the men refused, continued their aggressive behaviour, and thretened to sack both the policemen and the doctors. Then the men were carried back to police office, to become more sober.

By the opinion of the General Secretary of the Reformist Party, Kristen Michal, Tein and Aru had to leave the Parliament because of raging in the bar.

Michal said to BNS, that Tein and Aru did not participate at the meeting of the Reformist Party fraction in Monday morning, but he tries to talk to the men during the day, and hear their explanations.

"If all this raging and boasting is true, then by my opinion they have no other possibility, than leave the Parliament", said Michal.

Michal did not consider it really necessary that the men should secede from the Reformist Party.

"They cannot stop working and go to forest. Everybody always has a possibility to improve himself," said Michal.

External links

• Prime Minister of Estonia
• Estonian Reform Party