Heidy Purga
Estonian Reform Party
In undertaking to perform the duties of a member of the Government of the Republic, I am aware that I shall bear responsibility in this office before the Republic of Estonia and my conscience. I solemnly swear to remain faithful to the constitutional order of the Republic of Estonia and to devote my strength to securing the welfare and future of the people of Estonia.
23 July 2024, Tallinn
Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia from 17 April 2023.
Heidy Purga was born on 18 March 1975. She is in a common-law marriage and the mother of a son. Purga joined the Estonian Reform Party in 2014.
CAREER
- Since 2017, she has been a member of the Tallinn City Council.
- In 2015–2023, she was a member of the 13th and 14th Riigikogu.
- In 2014–2015, she was an advisor to the board of Estonian Public Broadcasting.
- In 2004–2013, she was the Editor-in-Chief of Radio 2 and the Head Producer of Eesti Laul.
- In 2002–2004, she was the Editor-in-Chief and a presenter of Raadio 2.
- In 1997–2002, she was an editor and presenter at TV3.
- In 1995–1997, she was an editor and broadcaster at Estonian Public Broadcasting.
EDUCATION
In 1994-1996 she studied at the Tallinn Pedagogical University in stage directing and graduated from Concordia International University in 2002 in Electronic Media. Native language: Estonian. Also speaks English and Russian.
OTHER
Interests include music.
In undertaking to perform the duties of a member of the Government of the Republic, I am aware that I shall bear responsibility in this office before the Republic of Estonia and my conscience. I solemnly swear to remain faithful to the constitutional order of the Republic of Estonia and to devote my strength to securing the welfare and future of the people of Estonia.
17 April 2023, Tallinn
About the job of the Minister of Culture
The Minister of Culture chairs the Ministry of Culture and is responsible for its area of governance. The Minister of Culture is the Chairman of the Supervisory board of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and is responsible for appointing a representative to the supervisory board of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and a member to the council of the National Library of Estonia. The Minister of Culture is the minister responsible for the area referred to in the Estonian Public Broadcasting Act.
The minister is appointed and released from office by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the prime minister. The minister will assume office by taking an oath of office before the Riigikogu.
- The Minister of Culture directs the work of the Ministry of Culture and decides on matters falling within its area of governance. In addition, the minister reports to the Government of the Republic on the activities of the Ministry of Culture and submits proposals for decisions on matters concerning the ministry’s area of governance.
- The Minister of Culture approves the recognition of cultural heritage objects as cultural monuments and their exclusion from the list of monuments.
- The Minister of Culture chairs the supervisory board of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and approves the compositions of the endowment panels, such as the folk culture endowment panel.
- The Minister of Culture submits proposals to the government on the budget of the ministry and, if necessary, on the supplementary budget. The minister also decides on the use of budgetary resources and monitors the implementation of the budget. On the basis of the national budget, the minister also approves the budgets of the government agencies under the ministry’s area of governance.
- The Minister of Culture decides on the establishment of the government agencies managed by the ministry and approves their statutes, structure, and work organisation.
Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture manages the culture, sports, and heritage protection work of the country, promotes the arts, cultural exports, and the creative industries, and coordinates the media policy, the audiovisual policy, and the implementation of the integration plan of the country.
Organisation of work of the Government of the Republic
The government implements the state’s domestic and foreign policy. The government makes decisions on a collegial basis on behalf of the executive. The competence of ministers in managing ministries and the areas of responsibility of ministers are determined with an order of the prime minister.
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