Indrek Tarand (born 3 February 1964) is an Estonian politician and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Estonia. He was an independent politician, but a member of the European Green Party.
Tarand has served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Estonia and as the Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tarand is the eldest son of politician Andres Tarand. His mother Mari Tarand, was a well-known linguist and radio journalist and the elder sister of Juhan Viiding. His younger brother is journalist Kaarel Tarand. His paternal grandfather was Estonian cultural figure, philologist and poet Helmut Tarand. His maternal grandparents were poet, author and literary critic Paul Viiding and translator Linda Viiding. His first cousins include historian Juhan Kreem, musician Jaagup Kreem, and poet Elo Viiding.
He studied history at the University of Tartu, as well as the University of Bologna, Italy. As a student during the Soviet occupation, he was expelled in his first year for lighting candles with his fellow Estonian patriots on the grave of Julius Kuperjanov, an Estonian military commander. Tarand was forced to the Soviet military service and after that he finished the university in 1991.
In 2005, Tarand caused a scandal at a soccer game by wearing a shirt that bore the names of some former Communist Party members, including Estonian president Arnold Rüütel and Prime Minister Andrus Ansip with the words Kommarid ahju! ("Commies to the oven!") This was one of the reasons that caused defense minister Jaak Jõerüüt to resign.
In 2006, Tarand participated as a celebrity contestant on the first season of Tantsud tähtedega, an Estonian version of Dancing with the Stars. His professional dancing partner was Kaisa Oja.
He is also a freelance journalist hosting programmes in radio and television, including the Estonian version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.
He also held the post of the Director of the Estonian War Museum – General Laidoner Museum. However, shortly after taking the MEP seat, Tarand relinquished his directorship. As a reserve officer, Tarand holds the rank of second lieutenant (nooremleitnant).
In 2011, Tarand ran in the indirect presidential election of Estonia against Toomas Hendrik Ilves. His candidacy was supported by the Centre Party, while the other three parliamentary parties backed Ilves. Tarand received 25 votes in the Riigikogu against Ilves's 73.
For the elections for the European Parliament (EP) in June 2009 he stood as an independent candidate and received 102.460 votes (25.81%) in Estonia, which placed him on a surprising second rank after the Estonian Centre Party (KE, Eesti Keskerakond) with 103.506 votes (26.07%). He joined the political group of the Greens/European Free Alliance Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine (Greens/ALE). During this legislature 2009-2014 he became member (either as full member or as substitute member) of the following committees and delegations:
2009-2014 Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO),
2009-2014 Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET),
2009-2014 Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE),
2009-2014 Delegation for relations with Israel (D-IL),
2009-2014 Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee (DEEA),
2009-2014 Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (DNAT).
In the 65 speeches of his first legislature (2009-2014), he was mostly covering issues linked to European External Action Service, United Nations, WTO, international treaties and conventions, human rights, refugees, arms trade, neighbourhood policy, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Southern Caucasus, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Syria, South Sudan, Mali, US and NSA surveillance programme, Arctic, Iceland, Italy, Swiss quota, EU budget, climate, energy security and strategy for Europe, IT, Single Seat for the EP, European Citizens’ Initiative.
He was rapporteur of the following report and opinion: