Tunne Kelam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tunne-Väldo Kelam MEP
Member of the European Parliament
In office 13 June 2004 – 30 June 2019
Constituency	Estonia
Personal details
Born	Tunne-Väldo Kelam (1936-07-10) 10 July 1936 (age 89) Taheva, Estonia
Political party	Estonian Pro Patria and Res Publica Union  EU European People's Party
Spouse	Mari-Ann Kelam
Children	1 (from a previous marriage)
Alma mater	University of Tartu

Tunne Kelam at the "Europeana 1989 Collection Day" in June 2013.

Tunne-Väldo Kelam, born on July 10, 1936, is an important Estonian politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for many years, representing his home country, Estonia. He is a member of the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union party in Estonia, which is part of the larger European People's Party in Europe.

Early Life and Education

Tunne Kelam finished high school in Tallinn in 1954. After that, he went to the University of Tartu. He studied history there from 1954 to 1959.

After university, he worked as a researcher in the State Central Archives in Tartu. This was from 1959 to 1965. Later, he became a senior editor for the Estonian Soviet Encyclopaedia in Tallinn. He held this job from 1965 to 1975. He also gave talks and wrote articles about international relations.

Standing Up for Estonia

In 1972, Tunne Kelam helped create an important document for the United Nations. This document was from two secret groups of citizens. It asked the UN to help remove Soviet forces from Estonia. It also asked for free elections to be held.

This document was secretly sent out of the country. It created a lot of interest in Western countries. However, it also led to problems at home. The secret police (KGB) started to crack down on people. Tunne Kelam managed to avoid being arrested. But he lost his job and could no longer do public activities.

For the next twelve years, he was watched closely by the KGB. Even so, he continued to work secretly. He organized groups that were against the government. He also sent information to other countries about human rights problems in Estonia. From 1979 to 1987, he worked night shifts at a poultry farm.

Political Journey

By the late 1980s, Tunne Kelam was a key leader in Estonia. He strongly supported Estonia becoming independent again. In August 1988, he helped start the Estonian National Independence Party. This was the first political party in the Soviet Union that was not Communist.

In 1989, he became a leader of the Estonian Citizens' Committees Movement. This was a huge effort by citizens to bring back an independent Estonia. In February 1990, he was chosen to be part of the Congress of Estonia. This group worked to restore Estonia's full independence.

From 1990 to 1992, Tunne Kelam led the Committee of Estonia. This was the main group of the Congress of Estonia. In August 1991, he played a big part in helping Estonia regain its independence.

He was also a member of the group that wrote Estonia's new constitution. This was from 1991 to 1992. In 1992, he was elected to the first parliament of independent Estonia, called the Riigikogu. He served there until 2004.

He was the Vice Speaker of the Riigikogu from 1992 to 2003. He also led the European Affairs Committee from 1997 to 2003.

Tunne Kelam was the last leader of the Estonian National Independence Party. In 1995, he helped his party join with another one. This created the Pro Patria Union party. He then became the chairman of this new party from 2002 to 2005.

From 2002 to 2003, he represented the Riigikogu in the Convention on the Future of Europe. This group worked on how Europe would develop. He was elected to the European Parliament three times: in 2004, 2009, and 2014.

Beyond politics, he has been a board member of the Human Rights Institute since 1997. He also joined the board of the Kistler-Ritso Foundation in 1998. This foundation helped build the Museum of Occupations in Tallinn. He was also the chief elder of the Estonian Scouting Association from 1996 to 2007.

In 2008, Tunne Kelam was one of the first people to sign the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism. He also helped start the European Parliament's resolution on European Conscience and Totalitarianism in 2009. He also helped publish a book called "Reunification of Europe" in 2009. This book shares the experiences of ten former Communist countries that joined the EU.

Awards and Honors

Tunne Kelam has received many awards for his work. These include:

• The Estonian Order of the Coat of Arms, 1st class (2005).
• The French Grand Officier de l'Ordre National du Merité (2001).
• The Robert Schuman medal and honorary diploma (2006).
• The Baltic Parliamentary Assembly's Diploma and Sash of Honour (1999). This was for his great help in bringing back independence.
• The Rotary International Paul Harris award (1990).

He was also made an honorary citizen of the State of Maryland in the United States in 1991.

Personal Life

Tunne Kelam is married to Mari-Ann Kelam. She is also a politician and used to be a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Estonia). Tunne Kelam has one daughter from an earlier marriage. His brother was a composer named Kuldar Sink.

Tunne Kelam has also written two books.