The newly nominated candidate for minister of infrastructure, Kuldar Leis, has served as the head of the Tartu 2024 Foundation, which coordinated events for Tartu's European Capital of Culture program, since 2021. However, he has also held leadership positions in various companies for decades.

Leis has worked at Hoiupank as a regional director, served as the commercial director of Ühinenud Meiereid and was the sales and marketing director at Ösel Foods. He has also led Premia Foods and Nordic Foods. Additionally, between 2017 and 2020, he chaired the supervisory board of AS Operail.

Leis was also Estonia's first passive house owner and previously served as the chairman of the now-defunct Estonian Passive House Association.

Furthermore, he has worked as a development director at the University of Tartu's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, been involved with the Põlva County Development Center foundation, served as a business consultant for regional development centers in southeastern Estonia and chaired the Põlva Municipal Council.

On the Reform Party's website, Leis is introduced in the section for the 2021 local elections — where he ran in Põlva Municipality — as the initiator and driving force behind the idea of the nearly zero-energy building for Põlva State High School. He was also noted as the leader of municipal merger negotiations in his role as chairman of the Põlva Municipal Council.

Põlva smart street causes war of words between Leis and Taro

Leis has also been involved in a conflict in Põlva Municipality with another newly appointed minister, Igor Taro of Eesti 200. In 2021, Taro, who was then in the opposition in Põlva, claimed that Leis, a municipal council member from the coalition, was attempting to direct €90,000 in taxpayer money to a venture linked to him.

A year later, local paper Lõuna Leht reported that Taro's prediction had come true, as Bercman Technologies was awarded the contract to build Põlva's smart street, a project costing €176,000. Leis was a member of Bercman's supervisory board, while his son was the company's sales manager.

Taro argued that Leis had a conflict of interest, pointing out that Bercman had a monopoly on smart pedestrian crossing technology in the municipality, meaning no other company could have won the procurement for Põlva's smart street. Leis, in turn, dismissed Taro's statements as slander and lies, emphasizing that no laws had been violated.

On Monday, reflecting on the conflict in an interview with ERR, Taro said that in his view, Leis could have handled the situation differently. However, he noted that he was not a law enforcement authority and could not determine whether corruption had occurred. The candidate for minister of the interior stated that he and Leis would have to work together in the government, even though they had not yet addressed the issue between them.

Leis owns OÜ Rododendron, a company founded in 2003 that manages financial investments and provides consulting services. According to its 2023 report, the company primarily invests in fields related to the future, science, tourism, energy efficiency and human well-being. That year, it reported a loss of approximately €582,600, though its assets were valued at €1.7 million.

Rododendron has a subsidiary, Solarhouse, which is engaged in real estate development, leasing, construction and management consulting and renewable energy production. In its early years, the company's main activity was building Estonia's first internationally certified passive house in Põlva.

Companies with ties to Leis mostly lossmaking

Leis' company has aimed to popularize energy-efficient construction and also offers consulting services for those interested in the field. In 2023, Solarhouse had a turnover of €25,453 but reported a loss of over €17,000.

Leis chairs the supervisory board of Bercman Technologies AS and is also a shareholder in the company. According to its most recent annual report for 2023, the technology company provides development services and integrated technology solutions and forms a consolidation group with Krakul OÜ.

Bercman Technologies had a turnover of €1.669 million in 2023 but reported a loss of nearly €253,800. As of Monday, the company had an outstanding tax debt of approximately €8,300 to the state.

Through his company, Leis also holds a 30 percent stake in Peapeal OÜ, which is registered in Otepää and is known for developing the upside-down house attraction in Tartu. Unlike Leis' other ventures, this company was profitable in 2023, posting a profit of nearly €64,000 on a turnover of over €311,000.

Additionally, through OÜ Rododendron, Leis is a shareholder in Okkastyle OÜ, which manufactures wooden household and decorative items, as well as other wood products. According to its financial report, the company produces acoustic panels in various sizes and colors, which are used as design elements in commercial and residential spaces. The visible surfaces of all products are made from pine needles sourced from southern Estonia.

In 2023, Okkastyle had a turnover of over €35,000 but ended the year with a loss of nearly €7,000. As of now, the company also has an outstanding tax debt of €4,700 and has yet to submit its income and social tax declaration, which was due on November 11 last year.

Through Rododendron, Leis also had a 22 percent stake in the management company Sense Holding OÜ. However, the company, which began operations in 2016, has since gone bankrupt.

During an interview on "Terevisioon" on Monday, Leis left open the question of whether he would join the Reform Party upon becoming a minister. He noted that he had been part of the Reform Party's candidate list for the Põlva Municipal Council for over 30 years.

"I have to reflect on this — whether it's an issue, what the pros and cons are, and then we'll see. But it's not something where I can say for certain that it will be one way or another. The future will tell," Leis said.

In 2020, Leis was awarded the Order of the White Star, Fourth Class, by the President for his contributions to entrepreneurship.

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