Anyway you look at it – trouble

Tuuli Koch
, reporter
Copy
Please note that the article is more than five years old and belongs to our archive. We do not update the content of the archives, so it may be necessary to consult newer sources.
Photo: Tairo Lutter

A union of three may surely be, but not to govern as yet – it’s just Soc Dems (SDE), IRL and Free Party teaming up to be worthy opponents to Reform in the talks. And why not push the squirrels into minority government?

«Anyway you look at it – trouble,» admitted the election winning Reform leader Taavi Rõivas as he woke up from results Monday morning. Truth be told: other than Free Party and the conservative EKRE, none were overly happy.

IRL, looking for the culprit in the miserable results, has mainly been looking in the mirror: the message was wrong, the whole campaign tactics were wrong. At the end of the month, the party council convenes; in high likelihood, a new leader will be discussed.

Squirrel quandary

On Monday night, SDE leadership sat down together. Some – a chief man Jevgeni Ossinovski among them –, were categorical: no more coalition with Reform. Many thought the poor results were because they ever went into the government last spring. Also, they were saying it was largely Mr Ossinovski going solo and his statements over the past weeks may have rubbed wrong with the electorate.

While SDE chairman Sven Mikser looked more fragile at the meeting than ever, he’s not being directly blamed for the flop. In May, Soc Dems are also having a regular convocation; possibly, another candidate for chief will emerge.

With no official power talks underway, the «sniff» conversations are happening. Reform is hoping that SDE, IRL and the Free will not quarrel as that would make further talks rather fragmented.

Regarding the Free, Reform is afraid that with every bill by government they would have to have another agreement regarding support in Riigikogu. The fear makes the Free just want to laugh: all in parliament might retain their free will. But they do keep agreements and their word.

Reform is troubled thinking about the promises by possible partners: they are not okay with IRL tax reform, and surely not with SDE desire to ease Estonian language requirement in gymnasiums.

«Across the three parties, a strong third of promises ought to be withdrawn,» said a Reform decision-maker, analysing cooperation options. 

To this very day, none utters a word about Centre. Savisaar being Savisaar – a votes magnet Yana Toom increasingly Kremlin-minded, all other parties watch out.

Meanwhile, none can really imagine a Reform, IRL and SDE union. «Then, Centre and the Free will propose our ideas, our bills, and we in the government cannot vote for it?!» said several soc dems, thinking ahead about saving face at elections in the future. 

From the Reform point of view, it might indeed be hard somewhat – they’d like to get a coalition going as fast as possible, to look ever so victorious.

All go to Kadriorg

Yesterday and the day before President Toomas Hendrik Ilves met leaders of all six parties that made it to Riigikogu. «I hope the parties in the new government will have eyes for the vital issues before Estonia and her people, and stand ready to cooperate towards solutions: raising the welfare, security and national defence, education and research policy, public administration and local government reform, preparations for EU presidency,» listed the President. «All heads of the parties deemed these topics to be important.»

Let’s also not forget the schedule of Mr Ilves’ meetings: for starters, he naturally invited the winner Reformer Taavi Rõivas, but right next in line were SDE (third result) chief Sven Mikser and Free Party’s (fifth) Andres Herkel.

President issues powers for creation of government after the current one resigns, at the opening session of the new parliament.

Comments
Copy
Top