Here are some facts about the bloc’s future top diplomat and her accomplishments.
Kaja Kallas became the first female prime minister in Estonia’s brief history in 2021 when the collapse of the previous cabinet necessitated the creation of a coalition government with the Reform Party she was leading at the time. She cemented her position in 2023 with the Reform Party’s triumph at the parliamentary election.
Whatever statesmanship skill Kallas possesses apparently was not enough to fix the serious economic problems Estonia has been facing in recent years, with the budget deficit this year being expected to reach 3.8% of the country GDP while Estonia’s debt is poised to reach 23% of GDP (as per the IMF estimates).
Kallas is an outspoken Russophobe whose antagonistic stance towards Russia earned her the “new Iron Lady” moniker in Western media – a reference to the late Margaret Thatcher who was at some point referred to as the Iron Lady. She is an active advocate of military support for Ukraine and anti-Russian sanctions.
Despite that, in August 2023 local media revealed that Kallas’ husband Arvo Hallik had a stake in a logistic company that kept doing business with Russia. While Hallik was quick to promise to sell his share, Kallas simply insisted that she was not aware of the company’s ties to Russia.