Olari Lippmaa
Olari Lippmaa | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lippmaa in 2019 | |
| Member of the Folkssenaat | |
| Assumed office 17 September 2006 | |
| Constituency | Lanekirik |
| Secretary of Euclean Affairs | |
| In office 14 December 2006 – 9 November 2010 | |
| Premier | Jabik Nieuwenhuis |
| Preceded by | Martin Morgentaler |
| Succeeded by | Eadvyn Padovano |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 October 1975 Rahu, Alsland |
| Nationality | Alslandic |
| Political party | Alslandic Section of the Workers' International |
| Alma mater | University of Seitse Sammu |
| Website | Folkssenaat page |
Olari Lippmaa (born 14 October 1975) is an Alslandic politician and diplomat who has been a Member of the Folkssenaat since 2006. Prior to this, between 1996 and 2004 he worked for the Community of Nations in Kesselbourg City before returning to Alsland to enter politics. From 2006 to 2010 he was the Secretary of Euclean Affairs under Jabik Nieuwenhuis. He is the candidate for Premier from the Alslandic Section of the Workers' International (ASAY) ahead of the 2022 Alslandic legislative election.
Early life
Lippmaa was born in Rahu, Alsland to a mixed Alslandic and Kirenian family and he grew up spending time on both sides of the border. After graduating from high school in Rahu in 1993 Lippmaa studied international relations in Kesselbourg from 1993 until 1996. After graduating Lippmaa began working for the Community of Nations in Kesselbourg City in 1996. In 2004 he and his wife permanently relocated to Rahu and worked for a Kirenian language rights organisation before entering politics.
Political career
Secretary of Euclean Affairs
In 2006 he was elected to the Senate in Lanekirik. After Jabik Nieuwenhuis was appointed as Premier after the 2006 election, Lippmaa became the Secretary of Euclean Affairs.
In 2007 his speech to the Euclean Council was voted as the Alslandic political speech of the year when he called for a Euclean-wide economic recovery plan that focused on getting rid of economic inequalities. The speech was criticised by the Alliance of Conservatives and Democrats for Euclea as well as the Euclean Liberal Party for bringing partisan politics into the Council although Lippmaa denied this was his intention.
In 2009 as a member of an ASAY delegation to Kirenia, Lippmaa was briefly detained by Alslandic border guards when returning from the trip, he was held in custody for 6 hours before he was released. Lippmaa claimed the detention was politically and ethnically motivated and called into question the impartiality of the border officials at the crossing. He also claimed he had been targeted because of his background as a Kirenian as well as a prominent politician within ASAY. Shortly afterwards, Martish Police opened an investigation into the incident and the Alslandic Federal Border Force suspended two guards for a week over the incident. His detainment was condemned by other members of the Euclean Council.
After the defeat of ASAY at the 2010 Alslandic legislative election, Lippmaa resigned from his position as Secretary of Euclean Affairs. He was seen as a potential successor to Jabik Nieuwenhuis after his Premiership.
Member of the Folkssenaat
In the 2018 Alslandic legislative election Lippmaa led the ASAY list in the Martish Community and won a seat in the Folkssenaat. He was one of two Martish ASAY senators elected in 2018. Lippmaa is a member of the Folkssenaat's committee on Foreign Affairs and became the committee's vice-chair in 2021 having previously chaired the committee from 2010 until 2016.
Ahead of the 2018 legislative election, Lippmaa as well as Rayk Herder openly criticised ASAY candidate Ydo van Veen for refusing to attend television debates as well as his use of a private helicopter to attend campaign events which damaged the party's image. Van Veen responded by threatening to expel his opponents in the party, Van Veen's reaction led to him being removed as candidate by the Presidium of the Party who appointed Jabik Nieuwenhuis for candidate. The party lost 35 seats and received it's lowest share of the vote since the Great War which Lippmaa attributed to Van Veen's comments as well as the strong performance of the centrist Progressive Alliance.
After the 2021 Yndyk train bombing, Lippmaa like much of his party voted against the "2021 Anti-terrorism and Security act". During a debate before the vote, Lippmaa called the act "undemocratic" and compared Ottila Möller to Rafael Duclerque. After the debate Lippmaa apologised for the comparison on social media after facing backlash from veterans groups as well as historians and other Senators. During the vote on the act, ASAY senators turned their backs and walked out of the chamber after the vote was held. Shortly afterwards ASAY tabled a bill to reduce the powers of the act although the bill was blocked from receiving a vote in the Folkssenaat by the National Bloc.
On 29 June 2022, Lippmaa was formally selected as ASAY's candidate for Premier in the upcoming 2022 Alslandic legislative election. During his acceptance speech he vowed to campaign on social and economic issues such as the cost of living increase as well as adding a non-binary or 'other' option to Alslandic ID cards and passports. As of Lippmaa accepting the candidacy, ASAY held a strong second position in opinion polls. In various opinion polls conducted at the start of the campaign, Lippmaa was the most popular candidate for Premier and the only candidate with a positive approval rating.
Political views
Lippmaa is a councilist and a self-described follower of Kirenian councilist leader Ilmar Levandi. Lippmaa is also a supporter of Jabik Nieuwenhuis' policies as Premier of Alsland. Lippmaa is critical of Alsland's membership in the ECDTO and would prefer Alsland to withdraw from the alliance and declare neutrality. Lippmaa is also against Alsland joining the Mutual Assistance Organisation (MAO) but would like to see some sort of economic and travel agreement signed between Alsland and MAO as well as Alsland gaining observer status within MAO. He does support Alsland joining the Association for International Socialism at some point in the future but has dismissed any idea that this is feasible within the next 10 years.
Personal life
Lippmaa is fluent in Kirenian and Gaullican. Lippmaa also can hold basic conversations in Dellish as well as Hoeltish. He is married and has 3 children. Lippmaa is agnostic.