Tunne Kelam

Tunne - Väldo Kelam (* July 10, 1936 in Taheva, Estonia) is an Estonian politician and member of the 6th and 7th European Parliament.

Training

Tunne Kelam (formerly Tunne Sink ) increased in 1954 graduated from high school in Tallinn and studied history at the University of Tartu. From 1959 to 1965 he was a researcher at the Estonian State Archives. From 1959 to 1970 he was also a lecturer and lecturer in international relations at the Association Teadus. 1965-1975 Tunne Kelam worked as a senior editor for the Encyclopedia of work "Encyclopedia of Soviet Estonia " ( Eesti Nõukogude Entsüklopeedia ), but was relieved of his duties for anti-Soviet views. Officially done as an employee of the Estonian National Library, he was not allowed to practice his profession until 1979. After that, he was entrusted with politically irrelevant tasks, including as a worker in a chicken farm.

Dissident

In the period of Perestroika in the late 1980s was Tunne Kelam one of the leading dissidents in Estonia. He founded in 1988 with companions the Estonian National Independence Party ( Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse party). 1989/90 he was a member of the Estonian Citizens' Committees ( Eesti Koda Nike Peakomitee ), which strongly argued for the independence from the Soviet Union and restoration of Estonian independence. From 1990 to 1992 was Kelam Chairman of the Estonian Committee, the executive arm of the Estonian Congress, which competed with the Supreme Soviet (later the Supreme Council ) for political power in Estonia.

Politician

With the restoration of Estonian independence and the convening of the freely elected Estonian Parliament ( Riigikogu ) in summer 1992 Tunne Kelam was a member of parliament. From 1992 to 2003 he was Vice President of the Parliament.

From 1993 to 1995 Tunne Kelam was chairman of the Estonian National Independence Party. In 1995, the party merged under his leadership with the National Alliance "Pro Patria " for right-wing conservative Homeland Union ( Isamaaliit ), whose chairman he was from 2002 to 2005. 2002/2003 was Kelam representatives of the Estonian Parliament in the European Convention. 2004 Tunne Kelam was chosen as the Estonian deputy in the European Parliament.

Private life

Tunne Kelam is married to the politician and librarian Mari -Ann Kelam and has a daughter from a previous marriage.