«Never have I thought him to be a crook, a cheat or a man dishonest; or that he has deceived Estonian state,» President Toomas Hendrik Ilves told Estonian Employers’ Confederation annual conference Kite Fly 2014, regarding EU commissioner Siim Kallas.
On Wednesday, Mr Kallas unexpectedly withdrew from leading the next government before the head of state managed to officially nominate him creator of next coalition. «What just happened makes me very sad, being part of a broader problem regarding us losing labourers,» Mr Ilves said, with apparent spontaneity – in the text of the prepared speech published at his website, yesterday, these ideas aren’t found.
Mr Ilves lamented the good people thus driven from Estonia. «I do not know how Estonia will proceed [things being] this way. I really do not know where we will get these good people.»
In Postimees, yesterday, the European Commission vice president substantiated quitting prime ministerial quest as follows: «One can’t work while every day something is woven together, this way and that way. /.../ As prime minister, one can’t work in an environment like that.»
Questions granted
The flight of Mr Kallas set President Ilves in a situation where creator of new government is to be declared without too much time to think.
The outgoing prime minister Andrus Ansip, however, said regarding the atmosphere created regarding Siim Kallas by media, at an after-government-meeting briefing, that he didn’t think the situation especially bad in Estonia i.e. worse than in some other countries. «Still, there are some things to think about,» he added.
According to Mr Ansip, everyone active in politics needs to consider the option of being asked uncomfortable questions.
Taavi Rõivas, Reform Party’s new prime minister candidate, yesterday said that the events around creation of the new government need not be overdramatized.
«For the first time after quite a long while an Estonian prime minister has, without any outside pressure, decided to step back,» said he. «We have had resignations, regarding prime ministers, linked to scandals. /.../ Now that the most planned prime ministerial resignation in Estonian history takes place, they say something is severely critical or like we’ve got a huge crisis on our hands.»
Evoking early elections, as publicly supported by Centre Party and, in a manner more veiled, also by IRL, would amount to gambling thinks Mr Rõivas. «Surely, the gamble wouldn’t be in interests of Estonia.»
Padar proposed Mikser
Education minister Jaak Aaviksoo (IRL), however, noted the ball was now in President’s hands. «The main focus ought to be on the Kadriorg Castle and President of the Republic, who should take a calculated decision and name the person,» said Mr Aaviksoo.
IRL chairman and defence minister Urmas Reinsalu has commented on Mr Kallas quitting and the new candidate named in such a hurry that, by this, Reform Party has lost the trust to lead the state. The soc dem MEP Ivari Padar, however, yesterday said Sven Mikser, of his own party, might be nominated.
At an extraordinary board meeting, on Wednesday, Reform Party decided upon social minister Taavi Rõivas as candidate to form the next government. Candidacy of Mr Rõivas was set up at secret ballot, the other version being justice minister Hanno Pevkur. According to Public Broadcasting (ERR), Mr Pevkur got four and Mr Rõivas seven votes – the social minister thus gaining a three-vote edge – not winning by just one vote as mistakenly stated by Postimees, yesterday. The vote with paper slips was followed by a discussion and a new round of votes; then, the whole board said yes to Mr Rõivas.