Lauri Läänemets (born 31 January 1983) is an Estonian politician who served as Minister of Interior Affairs and was a member of the XIV Riigikogu.[1]
Lauri Läänemets | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Läänemets in 2022 | |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 18 July 2022 – 11 March 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Kaja Kallas Kristen Michal |
| Preceded by | Kalle Laanet (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Hanno Pevkur (acting) |
| Leader of the Estonian Social Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 5 February 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Indrek Saar |
| Member of the Riigikogu | |
| Assumed office 13 June 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 January 1983 Tallinn, then part of Estonian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Party | Estonian Social Democratic Party |
| Children | 1 |
Biography
editIn 2007 he graduated from Tallinn University with a degree in recreation management.[1]
Political career
editLäänemets was a member of the Estonian People's Union between 2008 and 2010.[2]
After leaving the People's Union, Läänemets joined the Estonian Social Democratic Party in 2010.[1] And led the party's youth wing between 2011 and 2013.
From 2013 to 2017 he was mayor of the Väätsa Rural Municipality.[1]
At the 2019 Estonian parliamentary election, Läänemets ran for a seat in Riigikogu electoral district no. 8. He failed to gain enough votes for a mandate, but went on to take up Marina Kaljurand's seat as a substitute member a few months later after Kaljurand was elected to serve in the European Parliament instead.[3]
Lauri Läänemets was elected chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) on 5 February 2022 by party members at the General Assembly.[4]
Minister of the Interior
editOn 18 July 2022, he was sworn in as a Minister of the Interior as a member of Kaja Kallas's second cabinet. He retained his position in Kaja Kallas's third cabinet.
In December 2023, Läänemets's car windows were smashed. Authorities later announced that the suspects were part of a coordinated “hybrid operation” by Russian intelligence to conduct sabotage and destabilization against the Estonian state.[5]
In March 2024, Läänemets was placed on a wanted list by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs under "article of the criminal code".[6] Russian law enforcement agencies later clarified Läänemets was placed on the wanted list due to destruction of Soviet monuments.[7] A similar criminal charge was placed on Kaja Kallas, the Prime Minister of Estonia.[8]
In April 2025, after initially retaining his position in Kristen Michal's first cabinet, the Social Democratic Party was sacked from the governing coalition, and Läänemets returned to his position as a member of parliament. He was eventually succeeded by Igor Taro as Minister of the Interior.[9]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 "101_biographies_2019" (PDF). riigikogu.ee. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ↑ "| e-Äriregister". ariregister.rik.ee. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ↑ "Riigikogu asendusliikmed". rk2019.valimised.ee. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ↑ "Gallery: SDE elects new chairman". ERR. 5 February 2022.
- ↑ "Estonia detains 10 people suspected of committing sabotage on orders from Russia". Associated Press. 20 February 2024.
- ↑ "Russia also declares Estonia's Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets wanted". ERR. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ↑ "Russian Internal Ministry puts Estonian Interior Minister on wanted list". www.azerbaycan24.com. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ↑ "Russia puts the leader of NATO member Estonia on a wanted list over the removal of Soviet-era monuments". AP News. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ↑ "Siseministriks saab Taro, regionaalelu hakkab korraldama Terras". Äripäev (in Estonian). Retrieved 16 April 2025.
External links
edit
Media related to Lauri Läänemets at Wikimedia Commons
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