Toomas Hendrik Ilves

Toomas Hendrik Ilves [ 'to ː mas' hɛndrik ' ilvɛs ] ​​( born December 26, 1953 in Stockholm ) is the President of the Republic of Estonia.

Youth and Education

Toomas Hendrik Ilves was born in Sweden in a exilestnischen family, but grew up in the United States. He put his Abitur in 1972 in Leonia / New Jersey.

Ilves studied from 1972 to 1976 psychology at Columbia University and graduated in 1978 graduated with a master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania from. From 1974 to 1979 he was a research assistant at the Faculty of Psychology, Columbia University, 1979-1981 Deputy Director of Open Education Center in New Jersey and from 1981 to 1983 director of an arts center in Vancouver.

Policy

From 1983 to 1994 Toomas Hendrik Ilves worked at the radio station Radio Free Europe in Munich, most recently from 1988 to 1993 as head of the Estonian editors. Then Ilves joined the diplomatic service of the Republic of Estonia. From 1993 to 1996 he was the Estonian Ambassador to the U.S., Canada and Mexico. 1996 to 1998 and 1999 to 2002 he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia.

Since 1999, Ilves was a member of the Estonian Parliament ( Riigikogu ). He is co-founder of the Estonian People's Party ( Rahvaerakond ), which he chaired until 1999. Until 2003 he was Chairman of the successor party Rahvaerakond Mõõdukad ( " People's Party - The moderates "), which has 2004 Social Democratic Party ( Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond ) renamed. 2003 Ilves Watchful Member of the European Parliament and the EU accession in 2004 Member of the European Parliament. He is considered the father of the landslide victory of the Estonian Social Democrats in the European elections of 2004.

August 29, 2006, Toomas Hendrik Ilves was the only candidate in the presidential elections in the Estonian Parliament, but did not reach in two ballots, the majority required. In the following vote of the electors Assembly ( Valimiskogu ) on 23 September 2006, he won with 174 votes ( to 162 for the previous incumbent Arnold Rüütel ). On October 9, 2006, he took his five -year term as the fourth President of the Republic of Estonia.

29 August 2011 Ilves was elected for another term. In the Estonian Parliament voted by secret ballot 73 of the 101 deputies for him. His challenger, the MEP Indrek Tarand, received 25 votes.

Private life

Toomas Hendrik Ilves is married to Evelin Ilves; he has a son from his first marriage and a daughter with his current wife and a daughter.

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