Estonia’s Kaja Kallas resigned ahead of Brussels top-job

4 months ago 22

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform party, Renew) submitted her resignation to Estonian President Alar Karis on Monday (15 July) after being nominated as the next EU’s High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

She will also step down as leader of the Reform Party later this summer but will technically remain head of the Estonian government until the new coalition is sworn in.

Negotiations are already underway between the Reform Party, the Social Democrats (S&D), and the liberal Eesti 200 on how to continue the current governing coalition.

The President will now hold talks with the various political parties to allocate responsibility for forming a government. The task is usually given to the largest party in the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament), currently the Reform Party.

“I would now like to hear the opinions of all parliamentary parties on who they think will be able to form a workable majority government, given the strengths of the Riigikogu,” Karis said on Monday after the announcement of Kallas’ resignation.

“Estonia needs a government that will govern and make decisions that will help to turn the economy around, ensure our security and thus the sense of coping of the Estonian people,” the Estonian president stressed.

Kristen Michal, nominated as the Reform party’s candidate for prime minister, is expected to be the next leader of the country, favoured over Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, to restore stability to the country’s political landscape.

Following disappointing results in the European elections, in which Kallas’ party came third, she was recently facing calls to step down by the opposition, over the Estonian government’s failure to address the country’s need to spend at least €1.6 billion more on ammunition to overcome a “critical” shortage.

Last year local media also revealed that her husband was involved in a company that continued to operate in Russia, while she publicly criticised those who continued to trade with Moscow.

Her government also raised taxes and introduced unpopular budget cuts in the private sector shortly after the 2023 elections, as well as legalising same-sex marriage, which almost half the country opposes.

Her potential successor, Michal, has also faced his fair share of scandal, having been accused of money laundering and illegal party funding in 2012. However, the charges were dropped in 2015 due to lack of evidence.

A new government is expected to take office in early August.

[Edited by Rajnish Singh]