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Edgar Savisaar (31 May 1950 – 29 December 2022) was an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of
Popular Front of Estonia The Popular Front of Estonia ( et, Eestimaa Rahvarinne; RR), introduced to the public by the Estonian politician Edgar Savisaar under the short-lived name Popular Front for the Support of Perestroika, was a political organisation in Estonia in ...
and the Centre Party. He served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia, Minister of the Interior,
Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications ( et, Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium) is a government ministry of Estonia. Its head office is in Tallinn.
, and twice
mayor of Tallinn The following is a list of Mayors of Tallinn (before 1918 ), Estonia. See also * Timeline of Tallinn External links Mayors of Tallinn {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Mayors Of Tallinn List of mayors of Tallinn Tallinn Mayors In many countries, a m ...
.


Early life and education

Savisaar was born in the
Harku Prison Harku Prison ( et, Harku vangla) was an Estonian prison. The prison was located in Harku, Harju County. The prison was established in 1926. 1965 the prison was adapted to women's prison. 2011 Harku Prison was merged to Murru Prison. 2016 ...
in 1950. His parents Elmar Savisaar (1911–1970) and Marie Savisaar née Burešin (1912–1984) were farmers from
Vastse-Kuuste Vastse-Kuuste is a Populated places in Estonia, small borough (') in Põlva Parish, Põlva County in southeastern Estonia. Before the administrative reform in 2017, Vastse-Kuuste was the administrative centre of Vastse-Kuuste Parish. References ...
,
Tartu County Tartu County ( et, Tartu maakond or ''Tartumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in eastern Estonia bordering Põlva County, Valga County, Viljandi County and Jõgeva County. The area of Tartu County is , which covers 6.9% of ...
, who both had been convicted in 1949 of resisting
collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of, "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
. The events, which had culminated with physical conflict, had started when
kolhoz A kolkhoz ( rus, колхо́з, a=ru-kolkhoz.ogg, p=kɐlˈxos) was a form of collective farm in the Soviet Union. Kolkhozes existed along with state farms or sovkhoz., a contraction of советское хозяйство, soviet ownership or ...
activists came to
nationalise Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...
Savisaar couple's two cows (named Marja and Oksa), a pig, a horse drawn
hay rake A hay rake is an agricultural rake used to collect cut hay or straw into windrows for later collection (e.g. by a baler or a loader wagon). It is also designed to fluff up the hay and turn it over so that it may dry. It is also used in the eve ...
, a
spring-tooth harrow A spring-tooth harrow, sometimes called a drag harrow, is a type of harrow, and specifically a type of tine harrow. It is a largely outdated piece of farm equipment. It uses many flexible iron teeth mounted in rows to loosen the soil before plant ...
, and other farming equipment. Elmar was sentenced to 15 years and Marie to 5 years in prison. In the autumn of 1950, Marie was released from prison under an amnesty and returned to Vastse-Kuuste with her son. In 1952, Elmar was acquitted of one of the offences, and the sentence for the second episode was reduced to 2.5 years, which was deemed to have been served, and he was released from prison. After graduating from high school, Savisaar continued his studies at the
University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...
. In 1973, he graduated from the university with a degree in history. In 1980, he wrote his candidate thesis in philosophy on the topic "Social Philosophical Foundations of the Global Models of the
Club of Rome The Club of Rome is a nonprofit, informal organization of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is a critical discussion of pressing global issues. The Club of Rome was founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy. It consists ...
".


Career

From 1980 to 1988, Savisaar worked in the Soviet Estonian governmental institutions dealing with planning of the economy. During 1988–1989, he was the academic director for the consultancy firm "Mainor". In April he co-established the
Popular Front A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault". More generally, it is "a coalition ...
(Rahvarinne) which became the first mass political organization in thr Soviet Union outside of the
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...
since 1920. Initially formed to support
perestroika ''Perestroika'' (; russian: links=no, перестройка, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg) was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s widely associated wit ...
, the Popular Front eventually developed ideas of Estonian national independence and created the
Singing Revolution The Singing Revolution; lv, dziesmotā revolūcija; lt, dainuojanti revoliucija) was a series of events that led to the restoration of independence of the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania from the Soviet Union at the end of t ...
phenomenon. This process among several others led to dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 1989, he became the Vice-Chairman of the Council of Ministers of
Estonian SSR The Estonian SSR,, russian: Эстонская ССР officially the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic,, russian: Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика was an ethnically based adminis ...
and the Head of the State Plan Committee. In 1990, he was the Minister of Economic Affairs. On 3 April 1990, he was appointed the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. When Estonia declared independence on 20 August 1991, he became the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia. His government was in office until 29 January 1992, when he resigned after supplementary problems and a continuing decline in economy. Most of his governing time was characterized by
hyperinflation In economics, hyperinflation is a very high and typically accelerating inflation. It quickly erodes the real value of the local currency, as the prices of all goods increase. This causes people to minimize their holdings in that currency as ...
and ever increasing deficit of goods. "Purchase cards" and ration stamps were introduced. During the winter of 1991/1992 preparations were made to evacuate the dormitory regions of Tallinn due to shortage of fuel. On 31 December 1991, people stood for hours in the bread queues, many were eventually left without bread. In January 1992, butter disappeared from the shops. Savisaar managed to win a vote of non-confidence, being mostly supported by his Popular Front, left-wing parties and the
Intermovement The Intermovement ''(International Movement of Workers in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic)'' ( et, Interliikumine, russian: Интердвижение, translit. Interdvizhenie) was a political movement and organisation in the Esto ...
, but stepped down when it turned out impossible to introduce a state of emergency. He was replaced by a technocratic government under Tiit Vähi. From 1992 until 1995, Savisaar was the Vice-Speaker of the Estonian Parliament (
Riigikogu The Riigikogu (; from Estonian ''riigi-'', of the state, and ''kogu'', assembly) is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the Prime Minister and Chief Jus ...
). From 17 April to 6 November 1995, he was the Minister for Internal Affairs. When he was accused of recording private conversations of other politicians, the entire government faltered. Although his participation in the recordings was never proved, he announced his intention to leave politics. However, in 1996, he participated in the local municipalities elections and became the chairman of the
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
City Council. His return to the Centre Party leader's post evoked a split, as some leading members disillusioned with Savisaar's leadership style left to found ''Arengupartei''. From 2001 to 14 October 2004, he was mayor of
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
. On 11 April 2005, he became
Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications ( et, Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium) is a government ministry of Estonia. Its head office is in Tallinn.
in the new coalition of Prime Minister
Andrus Ansip Andrus Ansip (; born 1 October 1956) is an Estonian politician, a member of the European Parliament, the former European Commissioner for Digital Single Market and Vice President of the European Commission, in office from 2014 until 2019. Previo ...
and worked in the post until March 2007. Since 2007 he has been mayor of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Edgar Savisaar and Estonia People's Union leader Villu Reiljan jointly supported
Arnold Rüütel Arnold Rüütel OIH () (born 10 May 1928) is an Estonian politician and agricultural scientist. He has served as the last chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR from 8 April 1983 to 29 March 1990, Chairman of the Su ...
's candidature for presidency in August–September 2006;
Toomas Hendrik Ilves Toomas Hendrik Ilves (; born 26 December 1953) is an Estonian politician who served as the fourth president of Estonia from 2006 until 2016. Ilves worked as a diplomat and journalist, and he was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in t ...
was elected though, a choice criticised by Savisaar and attributed by him to alleged hostile media and partisan lawmakers. Savisaar refused to congratulate the winner. In 2016, the discussion on electing a new leader escalated in the Centre Party and an extraordinary party congress was called for November. MP
Jüri Ratas Jüri Ratas (; born 2 July 1978) is an Estonian politician who was the 18th prime minister of Estonia from 2016 to 2021. He has been Estonian Centre Party, Leader of the Centre Party since 2016, and was the mayor of Tallinn from 2005 to 2007. J ...
was the first to announce his candidacy, after which four others followed, including Yana Toom. Even though Savisaar first announced his candidacy, he later announced that he would not participate in the leadership election and instead endorsed Toom. Savisaar published four books. He received the
Order of the National Coat of Arms The Order of the National Coat of Arms ( et, Riigivapi teenetemärk, french: Ordre du Blason National) was instituted by Konstantin Päts on 7 October 1936 to commemorate 24 February 1918, the day on which Estonian independence was declared. The ...
2nd Class in 2001 and 1st Class in 2006 from Estonia and the
Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Thr ...
2nd Class in 2005 from Latvia.


Controversy

Savisaar was one of the most controversial politicians in Estonia. While some people, including many from the Russian-speaking minority, saw him as a defender of the poor, his political opponents accused him of authoritarianism, nepotism, corruption, destructive intrigues, and having close ties with some Russian politicians. The latter accusation was fuelled by the Centre Party's collaboration agreement with Putin's
United Russia United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Russian conservative political party. As the largest party in Russia, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the State Duma , havi ...
party, particularly since the agreement's content was not made public. Savisaar was often associated with using Machiavellian politics and deals to achieve his goals, such as taping other politicians, which caused the so-called tape scandal in 1995; and while being the mayor of the Estonian capital Tallinn, real-estate deals that were good for the members of the Centre Party, but were bad for the town.Savisaar's and Kruuda's mutual gifts
Delfi.ee. Retrieved on 4 August 2011.


Tape scandal

On 22 September 1995, a tape scandal broke out in Estonia when Edgar Savisaar was accused of secretly recording political consultations with Prime Minister Tiit Vähi and the chairman of the Reform Party, Siim Kallas, after the 1995 parliamentary elections. The scandal began with audio cassettes found during a search. Conversations between politicians were recorded there. As a result of the tape scandal, the coalition government of KMÜ and the Center Party collapsed and KMÜ chose the Reform Party as a new coalition partner. Savisaar denied the allegations. Vilja Laanaru, Savisaar's assistant at the time, took over the responsibility for recording.
/ref>


Bronze Night and riots

During the events surrounding the Bronze Soldier, Edgar Savisaar spoke out against the removal of the monument and accused
Andrus Ansip Andrus Ansip (; born 1 October 1956) is an Estonian politician, a member of the European Parliament, the former European Commissioner for Digital Single Market and Vice President of the European Commission, in office from 2014 until 2019. Previo ...
of deliberate attempts of splitting the Estonian society by provoking the Russian minority.Lõhestaja number üks
Postimees
In response to this many government officials and public figures stated distrust and disrespect towards him.Paet: Savisaar ei aita kaasa rahu tagamisele linnas
. Postimees.ee. Retrieved on 4 August 2011.
Peeter Oja: Savisaar on silmakirjalik ja valelik
. Postimees.ee. Retrieved on 4 August 2011.
In relation to his reactions to the Bronze Soldier controversy, the
Estonian Patriotic Movement The Estonian Patriotic Movement (''Eesti Rahvuslik Liikumine'', ERL) was a political pressure group in Estonia. The group was set up in the middle of 2006 to promote the removal of the monument to the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn from the heart of ...
created on 29 April 2007 an
online petition An online petition (or Internet petition, or e-petition) is a form of petition which is signed online, usually through a form on a website. Visitors to the online petition sign the petition by adding their details such as name and email address. T ...
website www.mahasavisaar.com to suggest resignation of Savisaar's position as the Mayor of
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
. It ended on 9 May 2007 and had collected 98,200 e-mail addresses (not signatures, although organizers of petition claimed so). In 2009 being a candidate for EP elections collected 103506 votes in closed list system.


Allegations of receiving Russian money

On 10-11 May 2010, Edgar Savisaar and Vladimir Velman, a member of the Riigikogu Central Group, visited Moscow, where the visit of Vladimir Jakunin, the head of the Russian Railways, to Estonia was agreed. On 23-24 Vladimir Jakunin's visit to Estonia took place in June. On the morning of 24 June, a boat trip was organized for the guests in the Gulf of Tallinn. During the amusement ride, Jakunin informed Borodich, who had also come to Estonia, of the fact that "the requested three will not be received, but will be 1.5". During the cultural program, they visited the Kiltsi manor complex in Lääne-Virumaa. In the manor complex, Edgar Savisaar, Denis Borodich, Vladimir Bushushev, Sergei Petrov and Vladimir Yakunin separated for a conversation. During the conversation, Jakunin said that 1.5 million euros will be given to the Center Party to support the Estonian parliamentary elections. 1/3 of it is given in cash, 2/3 by transfer invoices. Jakunin also reminded all participants that no one should talk about the transaction anywhere. During the conversation, Petrov on the one hand and Borodich on the other were appointed the persons responsible for the transfer and legalization of money. On 13 September, during the visit of Edgar Savisaar and Denis Borodich to Moscow, a dinner was held at the residence of the Russian Railways, which was attended by Yakunin, Bushushev, Borodich and Savisaar. Several topics were discussed during the dinner. Among other things, the following were discussed: the financing of the Lasnamäe church, the course of the church's construction work, the timing of the various stages of the construction work in connection with the forthcoming Riigikogu elections, their connection to the elections; how can Russia, at the official level, by sending its representatives, support the holding of the Congress of Rural People organized by the Center Party in Estonia. In addition to the above, the financing scheme of the Center Party was also discussed at dinner. Edgar Savisaar confirmed what was agreed in Kiltsi manor: 1/3 in cash and 2/3 by transfer, admitting that paying the entire amount in cash would also be solvable. Subsequently, Jakunin demanded full respect in future dealings with each other, referring to his long-term operational experience. The requirement was a total ban on the use of telephones to discuss the allocation of funds, to arrange meetings and on other sensitive issues. During a conversation with KAPO on 3 November, Savisaar's attention was drawn to the possibility of complicity with him and the party related to asking for money from abroad and to the resulting security threats. On 4 November, KAPO officials conducted a similar conversation with Borodich, who had been on holiday so far. On 6 November 2010, a telephone conversation took place between Savisaar and Jakunin, where the need to sign a tripartite agreement to legalize money allocated for the support of Lasnamäe Church and to prevent a possible scandal was discussed. On 26 November 2010, the financing agreement for Lasnamäe Church was signed. To this end, Vladimir Bushuev arrived in Tallinn from Moscow, accompanied by an agreement signed by the President of the Andrei Pervozvanny Foundation, Sergei Shcheblygin, in Moscow. Jevgeni Tomberg collected the signatures of the agreement from the representatives of the Tallinn City Government and MPEÕK. The next day, Mayor Edgar Savisaar presented the agreement to the Tallinn City Government.


Bribery allegations

On 17 July 2015, Estonian Internal Security Service launched a criminal investigation on Savisaar and six others in relation to bribery allegations. He is suspected of accepting bribes with a value of hundreds of thousands of euros in 2014 and 2015 on behalf of himself and
Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party ( et, Eesti Keskerakond, EK) is a populist political party in Estonia. It was founded in 1991 as a direct successor of the Popular Front of Estonia, and it is currently led by Jüri Ratas. The party was founded on 12 Oc ...
. It was later revealed that Savisaar was also suspected of corruption and money laundering. Because of the ongoing investigation, Savisaar was suspended from mayor's office on 30 September 2015. His original trial commenced in Harju County Court in June 2017. The county court ended the proceedings in June 2018 due to Savisaar's medical condition, however in August a higher circuit court ordered the trial to resume. In December 2018, the Supreme Court of Estonia annulled the ruling of the circuit court, thus releasing Savisaar from criminal proceedings.


Statements in support of EKRE

After
Jüri Ratas Jüri Ratas (; born 2 July 1978) is an Estonian politician who was the 18th prime minister of Estonia from 2016 to 2021. He has been Estonian Centre Party, Leader of the Centre Party since 2016, and was the mayor of Tallinn from 2005 to 2007. J ...
formed a coalition government with
EKRE The Conservative People's Party of Estonia ( et, Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond, EKRE) is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Estonia. It is currently led by Martin Helme. It was founded in March 2012, with the m ...
, scandals started to follow due to statements and actions made and done by the then-party leader and Interior Minister
Mart Helme Mart Helme (, born 31 October 1949) is an Estonian politician, diplomat and musician who served as the Minister of the Interior from 2019 to 2020. He was the long time chairman of the national conservative Conservative People's Party of Estonia ...
and his son
Martin Helme Martin Helme (born 24 April 1976) is an Estonian politician, leader of the Conservative People's Party (EKRE), and a far-right nationalist. From 2019 to 2021 he was the Minister of Finance. Political views Helme's views have been described as ...
. After being asked to comment on EKRE, Savisaar deflected to the media and accused the news media of stirring up controversy against EKRE, saying "Too much damage is being done to EKRE".


Joining an anti-vaccination party

For the 2021 Estonian municipal elections, Savisaar joined an electoral alliance called Vaba Eesti (Free Estonia) which had been accused of being anti-vaccination in its platform. Savisaar rejected the attacks, however, saying on Facebook "In my opinion, they are not some kind of anti-vaccine party, but they have a wide platform, starting with Estonia's internal affairs and ending with their attitude towards the European Union. I'm vaccinated and happy with that. But I am opposed to it being forced with dismissal from work. I hope that the problem of vaccination will remain temporary. The loss of human freedoms is a more far-reaching threat". The statement was slammed by people from his old Centre Party as well as other parties, with one of his previously closest allies Priit Toobal saying in September on his Facebook page "The electoral alliance you have been dragged into is not serious. Even on April 3 that you posted a snippet of text and a video clip right here on Facebook, where you can't rule out that vaccination should have been introduced, but now you're in the same room with the anti-vaxxers".


Personal life

Edgar Savisaar married three times and was the father of four children. From his marriage to Kaire Savisaar he had a son Erki Savisaar, who is a Centre Party politician. From his marriage to Liis Remmel (then Liis Savisaar), he had a daughter Maria and son Edgar. The last marriage was to
Vilja Toomast Vilja Toomast (born 15 August 1962, Antsla as Vilja Laanaru; 1996–2010 Vilja Savisaar; 2010–2015 Vilja Savisaar-Toomast) is an Estonian politician, a former Member of the European Parliament. She previously belonged to the Estonian Centre Par ...
(then Vilja Savisaar), who is also an Estonian politician. They had a daughter, Rosina. The couple announced their separation and divorce in December 2009.


Death

In March 2015, Savisaar was hospitalized due to an infection of
streptococcus ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive ' (plural ) or spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occur ...
bacteria in his right leg which had to be
amputated Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indiv ...
above the knee. He contracted the disease during a trip in Thailand. Savisaar's health never recovered from the event. In 2018 Savisaar was freed from political corruption trial as court determined him seriously ill and thus unable to stand trial or carry a punishment if convicted. Savisaar died on 29 December 2022, at the age of 72.


References


External links


CityMayors profile

16. December 2010, err.ee, Tallinn Mayor an 'Agent of Russian Influence,' Alleges Leaked Intelligence
, - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Savisaar, Edgar 1950 births 2022 deaths People from Harku Parish Estonian Centre Party politicians Prime Ministers of Estonia Members of the Riigikogu, 1992–1995 Members of the Riigikogu, 1995–1999 Members of the Riigikogu, 1999–2003 Members of the Riigikogu, 2003–2007 Members of the Riigikogu, 2007–2011 Mayors of Tallinn Estonian people of Russian descent Leaders of political parties in Estonia People of the Singing Revolution University of Tartu alumni Estonian amputees Voters of the Estonian restoration of Independence Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 1st Class Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 2nd Class Estonian independence activists 20th-century Estonian politicians 21st-century Estonian politicians Members of the Riigikogu, 2015–2019