Tunne Kelam
Encyclopedia
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(born Tunne-Väldo Sink 10 July 1936 in Taheva, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
) is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the Pro Patria Union (Estonia), part of the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
.
After graduating from Tallinn 2. Secondary School in 1954 he went on to study history in University of Tartu
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
. After graduation from university he was a senior researcher in the State Central Archives of Estonia from 1959 to 1965 and a lecturer on international relations in Society "Science" from 1959 to 1970. From 1965 to 1975 he was a senior editor of Estonian Soviet Encyclopaedia, but had to quit the job because of his anti-Soviet views. He was then employed by the National Library of Estonia
National Library of Estonia
The National Library of Estonia is a national public institution in Estonia, which operates pursuant to the National Library of Estonia Act...
as a senior librarian, but was not allowed to continue on his profession after 1979. From there on he held many menial jobs, including the position of a caretaker in a chicken farm.
By the end of 1980s he had become one of the leading dissidents in Estonian society. He was a founding member of the Estonian National Independence Party (ERSP, Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei) in 1988 and a member of Estonian Citizens Head Committee, people movement supporting the sovereignty of Estonia, from 1989 to 1990. From 1990 to 1992 he was the Chairman of the Estonian Committee, an executive body of the Congress of Estonia
Congress of Estonia
The Congress of Estonia was an innovative grassroots parliament established in Estonia as a part of the process of regaining of independence from the Soviet Union. It also challenged the power and authority of the pre-existing quasi-parliament in the country, called the Supreme Soviet of the...
, legislative assembly competing with the Supreme Soviet
Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union was the Supreme Soviet in the Soviet Union and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments...
for political power in Estonian SSR. After a new parliament, Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
was established and elected in summer 1992 he became a member of parliament. He held this position till 2004 when he was elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. He served as a Vice Speaker of Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
from 1992 till 2003.
Tunne Kelam was also the last Chairman of the Estonian National Independence Party (1993–1995) and lead his party into merger with the National Alliance "Pro Patria" which resulted in creation of the Pro Patria Union (Estonia). From 2002 to 2005 he was the Chairman of the Pro Patria Union. He stepped down a couple of months after being elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. He is the only representative of his party in that assembly.
He is also a member of a number of non-governmental organisations, including Institute of Human Rights (board member since 1997), Kristler-Ritso Foundation (board member since 1998 and Estonian European Movement (vice chairman since 1998).
He is a founding signatory of the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism
Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism
The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism , which was signed on 3 June 2008, was a declaration signed by prominent European politicians, former political prisoners and historians, including past signatories of Charter 77 such as Václav Havel, which called for condemnation of and...
.
Tunne Kelam is an honorary citizen of the State of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
(USA) since 1991. He has been decorated with many prominent awards including the Estonian Order of the Coat of Arms, 2nd class (2001) and the French Grand Officier de l’Ordre National du Merite (2001).
He is married to Mari-Ann Kelam, a librarian and a politician. He has a daughter from a previous marriage.
Tunne Kelam has also written two books.