In the early 1990s, Savisaar strongly promoted the independence of a small Baltic state located in northeastern Europe. He was considered the organizer and inspirer of the “Baltic Way”, a human chain of more than 600 kilometers from Tallinn to Vilnius in 1989, according to Spiegel.
Savisaar headed the provisional government and became Estonia’s first head of government. In 1992, he had to resign. He later he headed the Estonian Ministry of the Interior and Economy. Until 2016 he was president of the Center Party of this Baltic country.
His career was overshadowed by numerous scandals, several high-profile cases of illegal party financing, and corruption. “Without Edgar Savisaar, three decades of Estonian politics would have been duller and less colourful,” said Estonian President Alar Karis.
