(left) and
Hannes Walter (right) at a discussion of ENE at
Horisont magazine's headquarters in 1989. Mart Laar was born in
Viljandi. He studied history at the
University of Tartu, graduating in 1983; he received his master's degree in
philosophy and his
doctorate in history in 2005. Laar taught history in
Tallinn, and served as president of the Council of Historians of the Foundation of the Estonia Inheritance, the Society for the Preservation of Estonian History, and the
Estonian Students' Society. Laar has written many books on Estonian and Soviet history, among them ''War in the Woods: Estonia's Struggle for Survival, 1944–1956'', a book about the
Forest Brothers anti-Soviet resistance movement. Laar's political career began when he became a member of the conservative
Pro Patria Union party (which later merged with the more technocratic
Res Publica Party in 2006). He was elected prime minister by the
Riigikogu on 21 October 1992. In barely two years, from 1992 to 1994, the radical reforming Estonian government of Mart Laar was the first in Europe to introduce the
flat tax, privatized most national industry in transparent public tenders, abolished tariffs and subsidies, stabilized the economy and balanced the budget. Due to several scandals, Laar was defeated in 1994 by
no-confidence vote, when some members of the coalition withdrew their support. Reasons for the vote were publicized details of arms deal with
Israel and so called "rouble scandal" - the sale of 2.3 billion
Rbls, withdrawn from circulation during the Estonian monetary reform of 1992, to breakaway
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, carried out by Laar's associates at an Estonian private company, Maag, without consulting Parliament. Five years later, in 1999, Laar returned to the post, with his main policy goals being to pull the economy out of a slump and lead the country toward the
European Union. He remained in the post until he stepped down in 2002. On 18 May 1999 while prime minister, Mart Laar with security advisor Jaan Tross,
Võru County head
Robert Lepikson and Government Office coordination director
Eerik-Niiles Kross used a shotgun to shoot at a photo of
Edgar Savisaar, leader of opposition party
Keskerakond. Later he explained that during shooting he acted as a private person, not as the prime minister. Mart Laar apologized for this event as Prime Minister and army officer. ==Recognition==