Igor Taro
Eesti 200
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.
25 March 2025, Tallinn
Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Estonia from 25 March 2025. He is a member of the Eesti 200 party, and was a member of the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union party from 2015-2018.
Igor Taro was born on 1 August 1981 in Võru. He is married and the father of four children.
Career
- 2024–2025 Secretary-General of the Eesti 200 party
- 2023–2025 Member of the XV Riigikogu
- 2019–2025 Member of the Management Board of the Adverbum limited liability company
- 2017–2023 Member of the Põlva Municipal Council
- 2016–2017 Elder of the Põlva County
- 2015–2016 Tourism Coordinator at the Võru County Development Centre
- 2015–2016 Marketing and Communication Manager at the Värska Sanatorium, 2017-2020 Advisor to the Management Board
- 2010–2015 Correspondent of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Organisation in the Võru and Põlva Counties
- 2006–2015 Editor-in-Chief of the Setomaa newspaper
- 2006–2009 Head of the Foreign Affairs Section and Editor of the Postimees newspaper
- 2002–2006 Moscow correspondent of the SL Õhtuleht newspaper
- 1996–2000 Bursar of the Võru County Museum
Education
Igor Taro studied journalism at the University of Tartu from 1999-2002 and graduated from the Moscow State University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. In 2020, he started studying economics at the University of Tartu, majoring in strategic management.
Other
In 2021, the President of the Republic awarded I. Taro the Order of the White Star V class. He was awarded the Anne Vabarna Prize for Culture in 2014, the Citizens Day Honorary Badge in 2017, the Order of Merit of the Defence League III class in 2018, the Honorary Badge of the University of Tartu in 2022, as well as the Gold Badge of the Ministry of Defence.
Igor Taro is a member of the Defence League and the Põlvamaa Lasterikkad non-profit association, LC Põlva and the Sakala Fraternity.
About the job of the Minister of the Interior
The Minister of the Interior leads the Ministry of the Interior in their area of responsibility. The Minister of the Interior is responsible for organising activities related to the internal security of the state, public order, border protection, rescue services, emergency communications, citizenship and migration, and for planning and coordinating crisis management.
The minister is appointed to and released from office by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the prime minister. The minister is sworn in by giving an oath before the Riigikogu.
- The Minister of the Interior is in charge of the internal security of the state and organises matters related to border protection, crisis management and rescue operations.
- The Minister of the Interior directs the work of the Ministry of the Interior and makes decisions on matters within the ministry’s area of governance. In addition, the minister reports to the Government of the Republic on the activities of the ministry and presents proposals for decisions to be made on matters within the area of governance of the ministry.
- The Minister of the Interior is responsible for organising matters relating to citizenship and migration.
- The Minister of the Interior chairs the Government Commission on Drugs Prevention, which aims to coordinate both prevention work and the reduction of drug supply.
- The Minister of the Interior makes proposals to the Government of the Republic regarding the budget and, where necessary, supplementary budget. They also decide on the use of budgetary resources and monitor the fulfilment of the budget. Furthermore, based on the state budget, the minister approves the budgets of the state agencies within the ministry’s area of governance.
- The Minister of the Interior makes decisions on the formation of state agencies to be managed by the ministry and approves their statutes, structure and organisation of work.
- The Minister of the Interior represents Estonia on domestic matters in the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union.
Minstry of the Interior
The Ministry of the Interior and its agencies work to make sure that everyone in Estonia feels safe living here and that the Estonian border and public order are safeguarded. Every one of us can make Estonia safer by preventing accidents and being considerate of ourselves and our loved ones.
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.
