Lauri Läänemets

Lauri Läänemets (born 31 January 1983) is an Estonian politician who served as Minister of Interior Affairs and is a member of the XV Riigikogu.

Biography In 2007 he graduated from Tallinn University with a degree in recreation management.

After leaving the People's Union, Läänemets joined the Estonian Social Democratic Party in 2010.

Lauri Läänemets was elected chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) on 5 February 2022 by party members at the General Assembly.

Minister of the Interior On 18 July 2022, he was sworn in as a Minister of the Interior as a member of Kaja Kallas's second cabinet. He retained his position in Kaja Kallas's third cabinet.

In December 2023, Läänemets's car windows were smashed. Authorities later announced that the suspects were part of a coordinated “hybrid operation” by Russian intelligence to conduct sabotage and destabilization against the Estonian state.

In March 2024, Läänemets was placed on a wanted list by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs under "article of the criminal code". Russian law enforcement agencies later clarified Läänemets was placed on the wanted list due to destruction of Soviet monuments. A similar criminal charge was placed on Kaja Kallas, the Prime Minister of Estonia.

In April 2025, after initially retaining his position in Kristen Michal's first cabinet, the Social Democratic Party was sacked from the governing coalition, and Läänemets returned to his position as a member of parliament. He was eventually succeeded by Igor Taro as Minister of the Interior.