Siim Kallas to receive state funeral Saturday at Estonia

Former Prime Minister Siim Kallas will receive a state funeral at Estonia Concert Hall on Saturday, August 29, ERR reports. Flags of mourning will be raised on the day of the funeral, which the State Chancellery will declare a national day of mourning.

Kallas died overnight on Saturday. He was a former prime minister, foreign minister and finance minister, vice-president of the European Commission, and holder of several other senior posts.

“It is with sadness that I have to announce that my beloved father, Siim Kallas, died tonight,” his daughter, Kaja Kallas, wrote on social media on Saturday morning.

The State Chancellery organises funerals for prime ministers. A funeral committee led by the state secretary will determine the arrangements, taking into account the family’s wishes. The committee will also decide whom to invite. The State Chancellery will cover the costs associated with the state honours.

State honours are also given at the funerals of the heads of constitutional institutions, including the Riigikogu, government, Bank of Estonia and Supreme Court, as well as the chancellor of justice and the auditor general. The law separately provides for funerals with state honours for presidents.

A book of condolences for Kallas has been opened at Stenbock House, the seat of the Estonian government. Entries can be made on working days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Condolences can also be left in the electronic book on the government’s website.

The government will begin its Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, August 25, with a minute of silence in Kallas’s memory. The meeting will also confirm the membership and duties of the funeral committee.