Därdo Kuikas

**Därdo Kuikas** (born 29 June 1963) is an Ecklander politician who has served as Prime Minister of Eckland since 2012. A member of the Social Democratic Party, Kuikas was first elected Social Democratic party leader in 2008, and has served in the Maagukoorpuu since 1998.

Born in Poorgu to a middle-class family, Kuikas graduated from upper secondary school in 1981, subsequently enrolling in the University of Uuguu and graduating with a degree in political science in 1984. Kuikas subsequently returned to Poorgu, where he began working as a policy intern at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He enrolled in the University of Poorgu in 1987, and received a master's degree in public administration in 1992. In 1993, he became a program coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, later becoming a program specialist in 1996. He left his civil service job in 1998, in order to run in the 1998 parliamentary election with the Social Democratic Party. He was ultimately elected to the Maagukoorpuu. In 2008, party leader Noora Rauvi announced her resignation due to poor results in the 2008 parliamentary election. Kuikas declared his candidacy to become her successor, and ultimately defeated Hendrik Mõõl in the leadership contest. As party leader, he led the Social Democrats into the 2012 parliamentary election, where they won a plurality of seats and began a coalition government with the Progressive Party.

Following the 2016 parliamentary election, the Social Democrats lost a number of seats and placed second behind Elvi Õja and the Center Party. Õja and Kuikas had initially negotiated a deal where they would form a coalition with Õja as Prime Minister and Kuikas as Minister of Foreign Affairs, although Kuikas ultimately went back on the deal to form a coalition with the Progressives, All-Eckland Party, and A New Movement so that he could remain Prime Minister. After this, the popularity and approval of Kuikas and the Social Democrats dropped sharply, going from 55–60% to 25–30% in most polling, while the media alleged that Kuikas had "stolen the election" from Õja.

Due to declining polling and internal pressure from within his own party, Kuikas announced in September 2019 that he would not stand for election in the 2020 parliamentary election, and that a new party leader would be elected by January.

## Early life and education

Kuikas was born on 29 June 1963 in Poorgu to parents Hans Kuikas (born 1933) and Tuula Radikkii (born 1935). His father worked in sales, while his mother was a stenographer at a courthouse. In 1976, his parents divorced, and Kuikas was subsequently raised by his mother and stepfather Arnold Brand (1930–2015), who worked in marketing. Kuikas is the younger of two children and only son; his elder sister is Karoliina, born  (1961-08-12) 12 August 1961 (age 62). Karoliina is a fashion designer and boutique owner who is the CEO and chief designer of women's clothing label Kõika. He grew up in the Tamsalu neighborhood of Kurepaan in Poorgu.

Kuikas began his education in 1969, attending a local public primary school. While a primary school student, Kuikas became interested in politics due to his father's frequent activism with the Social Democratic Party. Kuikas graduated from primary school in 1977, and subsequently enrolled in a local gymnasium in Tamsalu. He graduated from upper secondary school in 1981, and afterwards enrolled in the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at the University of Uuguu, graduating with a degree in political science in 1984. Kuikas began graduate school at the University of Poorgu as a part-time student in 1987, receiving a master's degree in public administration in 1992.

## Personal life

In 1988, Kuikas married his high school sweetheart Paula Book, a publicist, whom he had been in an on-and-off relationship with since 1979. They had one child together: Hanna, born  (1990-12-20) 20 December 1990 (age 33), before divorcing in 1995. Hanna was raised primarily by Book, although Kuikas still received weekly visitation rights until she turned 18 in 2008.

In 2001, Kuikas began a relationship with Maurinian television host and dancer Ora Singes, who is 17 years his junior. They became engaged after five months of dating, and later married in a lavish ceremony in 2003. His relationship with Singes was considered politically scandalous due to their large age difference and Singes's past modeling career, where she had posed nude. They have two children together: Jüri, born  (2005-01-17) 17 January 2005 (age 19), and Ilse, born  (2006-10-28) 28 October 2006 (age 17). The family resided in a high-rise apartment in Sentraliin until 2012, when they moved into Lausbraun House in the Karru neighborhood of Palriita.