Hanno Pevkur is the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Estonia from 17 April 2023. He is a member of the Estonian Reform Party.
Hanno Pevkur was born in Iisaku on 2 April 1977. He is married and the father of a son and a daughter. Pevkur joined the Estonian Reform Party in 2000. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Estonian Olympic Committee, and has been the President of the Estonian Volleyball Federation since 2012. In 2015–2020 he was the Vice-President of International Volleyball Federation.
Work and career
-
In 2022–2023, he served as the Minister of the Defence.
-
In 2016–2022, Hanno Pevkur was a member of the 13th and 14th Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia), and in 2021–2022 he served as the First Vice-President of the Riigikogu.
-
In 2014–2016, he served as the Minister of the Interior.
-
In 2012–2014, he served as the Minister of Justice.
-
In 2009–2012, he served as the Minister of Social Affairs (responsible for the fields of work, health, and social protection).
-
In 2007–2009, he was a member of the 11th Riigikogu.
-
In 2005–2007, he was a member of the Tallinn City Council, Chairman of the Nõmme District Administrative Board, and an advisor to the Minister of Justice.
-
In 2000–2005, he was active in the Nõmme District Administration, first as an administrative secretary and later as city district elder.
-
Before 2000, Hanno Pevkur worked as a lawyer.
Education
-
Hanno Pevkur graduated from the Tallinn School of Economics in 1998 with a degree in law, and from the Faculty of Law of the University of Tartu in 2002.
Responsibilities of the Minister of Defence
The Minister is appointed and released from office by the President of the Republic.
-
The Minister of Defence is responsible for the organisation of national defence in the Republic of Estonia.
-
The Minister of Defence leads the Ministry of Defence and decides on the matters within its area of government. Additionally, the Minister reports on the activities of the Ministry of Defence to the Government of the Republic and submits proposals on deciding over issues related to the Ministry's area of government.
-
The Minister of Defence appoints service commanders and makes a proposal to the Government to appoint the Commander of the Defence Forces and the Chief of the General Staff of the Defence Forces and release them from office.
-
The Minister of Defence appoints the heads of state authorities belonging to the Ministry's area of government as well as the deputy secretary generals and the heads of departments of the Ministry.
-
The Minister of Defence makes proposals to the Government on the Ministry's budget and supplementary budget, if appropriate. At the same time, he decides on the use of budget resources and monitors the implementation of the budget. The Minister also approves the budgets of the state authorities belonging to the Ministry's area of government on the basis of the state budget.
-
The Minister of Defence decides on the establishment of the state authorities belonging to the Ministry's area of administration and approves their statutes, structure, and work organisation.