Kaja Kallas (born 18 June 1977) is an Estonian politician and diplomat who has served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission since December 1, 2024. Prior to her appointment to the European Commission, she made history as the first female Prime Minister of Estonia, a role she held from 2021 to 2024. Throughout her career, she has been recognized as a prominent liberal voice within European politics, noted for her focus on digital innovation, competition law, and a steadfast stance on security, particularly regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Born in Tallinn, Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, Kallas is the daughter of Siim Kallas, a former Estonian Prime Minister and European Commissioner. Her family history is deeply connected to Estonia's 20th-century struggles; her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were deported to Siberia during the Soviet mass deportations of 1949, an experience that has profoundly influenced Kallas’s political worldview and her vocal advocacy for sovereignty and resistance to authoritarianism. Kallas pursued a career in law before entering politics. She graduated from the University of Tartu in 1999 with a degree in law and later obtained an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Estonian Business School in 2010. She became a member of the Estonian Bar Association in 1999 and practiced as an attorney-at-law, specializing in European competition and energy law, representing various corporate entities before transitioning to full-time political life. In 2010, Kallas joined the Estonian Reform Party. She was first elected to the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) in 2011, where she chaired the Economic Affairs Committee. Her international political career began in 2014, when she was elected to the European Parliament. During her tenure as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) until 2018, she gained recognition for her work on the Digital Single Market strategy and consumer protection, frequently appearing on lists of influential policymakers in Brussels. Kallas returned to national politics in 2018, when she was elected leader of the Estonian Reform Party, becoming the first woman to lead the party. She successfully led the party to victory in the 2019 parliamentary elections, though she initially remained in opposition. In January 2021, following the collapse of the governing coalition led by the Centre Party, Kallas was invited to form a new government. As Prime Minister, she navigated the country through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe energy crisis. Her premiership was most significantly defined by her firm response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, during which she became one of the leading international advocates for military aid to Kyiv and the reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank. In June 2024, Kallas was nominated for the role of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She formally resigned as Prime Minister in July 2024 and assumed her duties at the European Commission on December 1, 2024. In this capacity, she is tasked with coordinating the European Union's foreign and security policy, with a focus on strengthening European defense, deepening international partnerships, and maintaining a unified stance against global authoritarian threats. Kallas is married to Arvo Hallik and has three children.