Indrek Tarand
Indrek Tarand ( born February 3, 1964 in Tallinn) is an Estonian politician and journalist.
Life and Politics
Indrek Tarand laid in 1983 graduated from high school in Tallinn. 1984/85, he completed his military service in the Red Army. He then studied history at the University of Tartu in 1991 and made his examination. 1993 Indrek Tarand went into politics. He was first Special Envoy of the Estonian government in the largely Russian-speaking city of Narva. Then he was in 1993/94 Advisor to the Conservative Prime Minister Mart Laar.
From 1994 to 2002 Tarand was inter alia as Secretary of State ( kantsler ) to the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After conflicts with Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland Tarand left the ministry. 2002/2003 he was employed as head of the personnel department at the Estonian Central Bank ( Eesti Pank ). He then worked as a freelance journalist. He became director of " Kindral Laidoneri Muuseum " 2005. 2007 Tarand was adviser to the Georgian President Saakashvili. He is known in Estonian television as a dazzling show host and entertainer and emerges as " enfant terrible " in politics and society in appearance.
In the European elections in Estonia Indrek Tarand 2009 was chosen as the single candidate in the European Parliament (Estonia provides a total of six MPs). He was awarded by the Centre Party, the second- most votes, ahead of the other parties. Tarand not belong to any party and is regarded as an unconventional thinker of the Estonian political scene. His election in 2009 is also seen as a protest against the established Estonian parties. In the European Parliament Tarand joined the Group of the Greens / European Free Alliance.
He is a member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, in the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the Joint Parliamentary Committee EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee European Economic Area. Also in the delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
As a deputy, he is in the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Delegation for relations with Israel.
He has signed the Manifesto of the Spinelli Group for a federal Europe.
For elections to the Estonian President Tarand subject to 29 August 2011 the previous incumbent, Toomas Hendrik Ilves with 25 to 73 votes.
Private life
Indrek Tarand is married and has two sons and a daughter. Indrek Tarand is the older brother of the Estonian journalists Kaarel Tarand ( b. 1966 ) and son of former Estonian Prime Minister and Socialist MEPs Andres Tarand (* 1940).