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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by RJ CG (talk | contribs) at 14:16, 12 July 2007 (Eesti Päevaleht with it's Tibla campaign is about a next best source after Mein Kampf to judge anti-fascist plays.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Rein Lang (born July 4 1957 in Tartu, Estonia) is an Estonian politician, a member of the Estonian Reform Party since 1995, and a diplomat. He is currently serving as the Minister of Justice.

Childhood and education

Lang's father was appointed to work at the Soviet embassy in Helsinki. Consequently, Rein Lang grew partly up in Finland, becoming a fluent speaker of Finnish. He has championed Finnish-Estonian relations. Lang graduated cum laude from University of Tartu in 1980, acquiring a degree in law.

Career in Business

In late years of the Soviet Union — since 1986 —, Lang worked in entertainment business. He has been a deputy director of the Linnahall and in 1989 became a deputy director of club 'Muusik' (Estonian for 'Musician'). In 1990, he became CEO of AS Laulusillad (Estonian for Song Bridges), and in 1991–2001 served at various positions in AS TRIO, along with Hans H. Luik establishing and running the first politically independent radio station in post-Soviet Estonia, Radio Kuku. Over the next several years, Lang launched two more radio stations, Radio Uuno, a music-only radio station, and the Russian language Radio Tallinn (later renamed Radio 100). In 2002, Lang and Luik sold their radio interest to their then co-partner from the United States, Metromedia International Inc.

Political career

Following his departure from the media business, Lang served as deputy mayor of Tallinn in 2001–2003 and as a member of Riigikogu in 2003&ndash2005. He served as the Deputy Speaker of Riigikogu and Chairman of its European Affairs Committee. In 2005, Lang was the minister of Foreign Affairs for two months, from February to April. With the resignation of Juhan Parts, the ten prime minister, a new cabinet was proposed by Andrus Ansip; there, Lang would serve as the Minister of Justice, a position he officially took when the government was sworn in on April 12, 2005.

Birthday party controversy

On July 4, 2007, Rein Lang celebrated his 50th birthday at a beer restaurant in Tartu, Estonia. The invitations to the celebration said that the high spot of the program would be a performance of the play Adolf, anti-fascist drama by Pip Utton featuring pre-suicide monologue of Adolf Hitler, delivered in front of a large hanging Nazi flag, and asked guests to dress in the style of Munich beer houses of early 1930s. They also pointed out that this era was characterised by poverty, and stressed that the event was not intended as a fancy dress party; specifically, guests wouldn't be expected to arrive in uniforms or bearing Nazi symbols. It should be noted that only source to call play anti-fascist is Eesti Päevaleht, which used racial slur "tibla" (as opposed to "real Estonian") in it's promotional campaign.

Russian media spun this event as the minister "decorating his birthday with swastikas". Interestingly, the Russian news agencies have neglected to mention the topic — a cautionary tale of the dangers of lingering fascist ideas — of the play, and have instead concentrated on a set element of the play, a vertically hung Nazi flag, presenting it as an arbitrarily chosen party decoration rather than a stage prop, and implying that the minister sympathises with Nazism. Ironically, Rein Lang has recently called for criminalising public display and propagation of occupation symbols — including both the swastika, the hammer and sickle, and the red star — when used for purposes of hatred incitement. Under his guidance, the Ministry of Justice has prepared a bill to that effect, modelled largely after similar law of Hungary, to be considered by Riigikogu.

The Nochnoy Dozor group, whose original raison d'être was opposition to relocation of the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn and who have earlier in Russian media made calls for the Estonian cabinet of ministers to resign, has in Russian media made calls for the Minister of Justice to resign over the event.

Minority fraction of People's Union of Estonia in Estonian Parliament discussed controversy amid Lang's birthday party and called for his immediate voluntary resignation.

Quotations

The Republic of Estonia has condemned Nazi crimes and my birthday was attended by people who, without exception, despise fascism.

External links

• Official blog, sponsored by the Estonian Reform Party
• A news item by Rossiya, the national TV channel of Russian Federation.

References

1. ^ Eesti Ekspress July 4, 2007: Langi juubelil "Adolf" by Alan Proosa
2. Pip Utton, describing the play on a promotional website.
3. ^ Eesti Päevaleht July 9, 2007: REIN LANG: Mis siis tegelikult toimus?
4. КОМИТЕТ ПО ЛИКВИДАЦИИ РАСОВОЙ ДИСКРИМИНАЦИИ. Доклады, представляемые государствами-участниками:
5. ^ Postimees July 6, 2007: Rein Langi juubelipidu äratas huvi Vene meedias
6. REGNUM July 5, 2007: Estonian justice minister “decorates” his birthday party with swastika
7. Estonian Ministry of Justice August 22, 2006: Karistusseadustiku ja väärteomenetluse seadustiku muutmise seaduse eelnõu seletuskiri
8. ITAR-TASS July 5, 2007: Estonian minister marks jubilee under aegis of Nazi Swastika
9. delfi.ee July 10, 2007:

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