Edgar Savisaar (31 May 1950 – 29 December 2022) was an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the Centre Party.

The events, which had culminated with physical conflict, had started when kolhoz activists came to nationalise Savisaar couple's two cows (named Marja and Oksa), a pig, a horse drawn hay rake, a spring-tooth harrow, and other farming equipment.

[2] In 1952, Elmar was acquitted of one of the offences, and the sentence for the second episode was reduced to 2.5 years, which was deemed to have been served, and he was released from prison.

In 1980, he wrote his candidate thesis in philosophy on the topic "Social Philosophical Foundations of the Global Models of the Club of Rome".

In April he co-established the Popular Front (Rahvarinne) which became the first mass political organization in the Soviet Union outside of the Communist Party since 1920.

Initially formed to support perestroika, the Popular Front eventually developed ideas of Estonian national independence.

Savisaar managed to win a vote of non-confidence, being mostly supported by his Popular Front, left-wing parties and the Intermovement, but stepped down when it turned out impossible to introduce a state of emergency.

His return to the Centre Party leader's post evoked a split, as some leading members disillusioned with Savisaar's leadership style left to found Arengupartei.

Edgar Savisaar and Estonia People's Union leader Villu Reiljan jointly supported Arnold Rüütel's candidature for presidency in August–September 2006; Toomas Hendrik Ilves was elected though, a choice criticised by Savisaar and attributed by him to alleged hostile media and partisan lawmakers.

While some people, including many from the Russian-speaking minority, saw him as a defender of the poor, his political opponents accused him of authoritarianism, nepotism, corruption, destructive intrigues, and having close ties with some Russian politicians.

[12] On 22 September 1995, a tape scandal broke out in Estonia when Edgar Savisaar was accused of secretly recording political consultations with Prime Minister Tiit Vähi and the chairman of the Reform Party, Siim Kallas, after the 1995 parliamentary elections.

[13] During the events surrounding the Bronze Soldier, Edgar Savisaar spoke out against the removal of the monument and accused Andrus Ansip of deliberate attempts of splitting the Estonian society by provoking the Russian minority.

[15][16][17] In relation to his reactions to the Bronze Soldier controversy, the Estonian Patriotic Movement created on 29 April 2007 an online petition website www.mahasavisaar.com to suggest resignation of Savisaar's position as the Mayor of Tallinn.

Among other things, the following were discussed: the financing of the Lasnamäe church, the course of the church's construction work, the timing of the various stages of the construction work in connection with the forthcoming Riigikogu elections, their connection to the elections; how can Russia, at the official level, by sending its representatives, support the holding of the Congress of Rural People organized by the Center Party in Estonia.

Subsequently, Jakunin demanded full respect in future dealings with each other, referring to his long-term operational experience.

The requirement was a total ban on the use of telephones to discuss the allocation of funds, to arrange meetings and on other sensitive issues.

During a conversation with KAPO on 3 November, Savisaar's attention was drawn to the possibility of complicity with him and the party related to asking for money from abroad and to the resulting security threats.

On 6 November 2010, a telephone conversation took place between Savisaar and Jakunin, where the need to sign a tripartite agreement to legalize money allocated for the support of Lasnamäe Church and to prevent a possible scandal was discussed.

[20][21] On 17 July 2015, Estonian Internal Security Service launched a criminal investigation on Savisaar and six others in relation to bribery allegations.

[29] For the 2021 Estonian municipal elections, Savisaar joined an electoral alliance called Vaba Eesti (Free Estonia) which had been accused of being anti-vaccination in its platform.

Savisaar rejected the attacks, however, saying on Facebook "In my opinion, they are not some kind of anti-vaccine party, but they have a wide platform, starting with Estonia's internal affairs and ending with their attitude towards the European Union.

Even on April 3 that you posted a snippet of text and a video clip right here on Facebook, where you can't rule out that vaccination should have been introduced, but now you're in the same room with the anti-vaxxers".