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Author

Mart Laar

Honorary Senior Fellow

Mart Laar has twice served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia (1992-1994 and 1999-2002). He was the architect of radical economic and political reforms in his country, making it one of the most successful transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe and a full member of NATO and the European Union. Under his leadership, Estonia adopted the first proportional flat-rate income tax in Europe, serving as an example for similar tax reforms in other countries in recent years. He created the world’s first functional e-government, making Estonia the most advanced country in this field. Mr. Laar received a BA in History from Tartu University in 1978 and a Master’s degree from the same school in 1995. His economic reforms earned him the European Bull Prize in 2001, the Adam Smith Award in 2002, the Polak Award in 2003, and many other honours. In 2001, the Davos Economic Forum named Mart Laar prime minister of its “World’s Dream Cabinet.” Mr. Laar is member of the PEN Club and the author of many articles and books, including War in the Woods (1992), The Little Country That Could (2003) and Estnisches Wirtschaftswunder (2003).

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