European Young Leaders programme celebrates its 10th anniversary with a focus on one of its previous alumni – Kaja Kallas
Text Mark Taylor Photo Stina Kase
As the European Young Leaders (EYL40) programme marks its 10th anniversary, it celebrates the ingenuity and innovative capacity of its previous inductees. As a 2017 alumni, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas represents the value of the network as a whole, contributing to many policy discussions in Brussels and bringing the importance of Estonian security, economy, and politics to European and global attention. According to the programme, she has been an excellent leader in defending democratic values and exercising liberal economic policy.
Kaja Kallas began her career in law, becoming an attorney in 2002, practising with law firms Luiga Mody Hääl Borenius and Tark & Co. But her political sharpness could not be dulled as she became a member of the Estonian Parliament in 2011, followed thereafter by four years as a member of the European Parliament, she even wrote a book about her experiences. It was during her time in the European Parliament that she was nominated to be an EYL40 member.
The European Young Leader programme identified her political zeal, and as an EYL member, she invigorated roundtable discussions on climate, energy and the 4th industrial revolution hosted by Friends of Europe. She is recognised internationally for her unmatched political skillset, covering areas of digitisation, youth, antitrust and e-privacy regulation. Kallas’ conviction and future seemed to be fate as she became Estonia’s first female Prime Minister in January 2021, and proudly wore the colloquial title “Europe’s new Iron Lady”.
Now a leader on the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine war, she has been a vocal critic of Russia, a proponent of EU solidarity, and an advocate for hybrid warfare preparedness. In light of Putin’s war, she has defended a ban on Russian tourists entering the EU and hopes NATO will move from deterrence to defence and uphold Article 5.
Led by Friends of Europe, each year the European Young Leaders (EYL40) programme brings together talented, established leaders, aged 40 and under, who have made their mark in a wide range of fields such as politics, science, business, media, NGOs, the arts and civil society. You can find more information about the programme here.
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