Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets

Lauri Läänemets is the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Estonia from 17 April 2023. He is a member of the Estonian Social Democratic Party.

Lauri Läänemets was born in Tallinn on 31 January 1983. He is cohabiting with a partner. He joined the Social Democratic Party in 2011 and became the party’s Chairman on 5 February 2022. In 2008–2010, he was a member of the People’s Union of Estonia. In 2019, he was awarded with the third-class decoration of the Estonian Defence League

Work and career

  • In 2022–2023, he was the Minister of the Interior.
  • In 2019–2022, he was a member of the 14th Riigikogu (Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Committee).
  • In 2014–2017, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Järvamaa Local Government Association.
  • In 2013–2017, he was the Mayor of the Väätsa Rural Municipality.
  • In 2010–2013, he was an adviser of the Tallinn City Government and City Council.
  • In 2007–2008, he served as an adviser in the field of membership at the Federation of Estonian Student Unions.
  • In 2005–2006, he was the Chairman of the Management Board of the Tallinn University Student Union; in 2006–2007, he served as the Chairman of the Management Board of Tallinna Üliõpilaskondade Ümarlaud MTÜ (Roundtable of Tallinn Student Unions).

Education

Lauri Läänemets graduated from Tallinn University in 2007 with a degree in recreation management. In 2019, he completed the Company Commander course of the school of the National Defence League.

Lauri Läänemets

The Minister of the Interior manages the Ministry of the Interior in his area of responsibility. The responsibility of the Minister of the Interior includes the organization of the activities related to the country's internal security, public order, border guards, rescue services, emergency notifications, citizenship and migration. The responsibility of the Minister of the Interior includes also population procedures, citizenship policy, as well as civil society and religious affairs.

The Minister is appointed to and released from the office by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the Prime Minister. The minister assumes office by taking the oath of office in front of the Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu).

  • The Minister of the Interior manages the area of the country's internal security and organizes issues related to border guards, crisis management and rescue operations.
  • The Minister of the Interior manages the work of the Ministry of the Interior and decides on issues within the ministry's area of government. In addition, the Minister reports to the Government of the Republic on the activities of the Ministry of the Interior and submits proposals for deciding issues concerning the ministry's area of government.
  • The Minister of the Interior is responsible for organizing matters related to citizenship and migration.
  • The Minister of the Interior heads the Government Committee on Drug Prevention, the purpose of which is to coordinate both prevention work and reduce the supply of narcotic substances.
  • The Minister of the Interior submits proposals to the government regarding the ministry's budget and, if necessary, the supplementary budget. He also decides on the use of budget funds and monitors the implementation of the budget. Based on the state budget, the minister also approves the budgets of state institutions under the ministry's area of government.
  • The Minister of the Interior decides on the formation of state institutions managed by the Ministry and approves their statutes, structure and work organization.