Indrek Tarand MEP (born February 3, 1964, Tallinn) is an Estonian politician, reserve officer, civil servant, journalist and historian.

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 Andres Tarand. His mother Mari Tarand is a well-known linguist and the elder sister of Juhan Viiding.

He studied history at the University of Tartu. 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.

Andris Piebalgs (born 17 September 1957) is a Latvian politician and diplomat, currently serving as European Commissioner for Development at the European Commission. Between 2004 and 2010 he served as Commissioner for Energy. Although in Latvia Piebalgs is no longer affiliated with a political party, at the EU level he is affiliated with the European People's Party (EPP).

Andris Piebalgs was born on 17 September 1957 in Valmiera, Latvia. Piebalgs is a graduate in Physics from the University of Latvia. Andris Piebalgs is an experienced Latvian politician who occupied key positions in both national and European political fields. Earlier in his career, while Latvia was still part of the Soviet Union, Andris Piebalgs worked as a teacher and was the Headmaster of the 1st Secondary School of Valmiera (1980–1990). He also served as Director of the Department in the Ministry of Education in Latvia. He was a member of Communist Party of Soviet Union from 1979.

In 1988, Latvian People's Front, an organisation that united more than 200 000 people, was established. Supporters of Latvian self-determination gained victory in the elections of the Latvian Parliament on 18 March 1990. It was the first time since the Soviet occupation that candidates from various political parties were allowed to take part. On 7 May 1990, Andris Piebalgs was appointed as Minister of Education in the new Government, and one year later, in August 1991, Latvia regained full independence. Andris Piebalgs' main task was then to put in place the first independent education system in Latvia.

Marina Kaljurand (born 6 September 1962 in Tallinn as Marina Rajevskaja) is an Estonian diplomat (though notably not of Estonian heritage, her father being of Latvian descent and the mother Russian).

She served as an ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the Russian Federation (since 3 February 2006) and to Kazakhstan (since 25 October 2007).^{[citation needed]}

In the campaign of Nashi and Molodaya Gvardiya to blockade the Estonian embassy during the events of Bronze Soldier of Tallinn controversy, Kaljurand was generally considered a focus of the attacks.^{[citation needed]}

On 31 December 2007, Eesti Naiste Koostöökett voted Kaljurand the Teenäitaja (lit. 'Guide') of the year. Kaljurand's continued adherence to European political traditions in face of severe threats amidst the Nashi campaign was cited as a deciding factor. [1]