Kallas «leaving as one who didn’t succeed»

Postimees secures interview with Siim Kallas, the almost-prime-minister-to-be, at Tallinn airport just before the EU commissioner enters airplane.

Hello, Mr Kallas!

Even here!

Why leaving so fast?

Got work to do.

What happened?

Don’t you read the [news]papers?

I do. You refer to all kinds of Eesti Pank documents.

No I don’t. I refer to what the papers are writing. That’s another matter altogether.

These things are interlinked.

This is a very indirect link.

How come you give in, so easy?

No, this isn’t giving in so easy, really.

When you came, you did not come just to go back again the other way, did you?

No, well of course I did have a plan. One can’t work while every day something is woven together, this way and that way. Again, these same things, doubts thrown into the air. Then all they do is keep asking and one has to answer, and explain. And then you explain and they tell you the explanations aren’t enough. And it goes on and on and on.

As prime minister, one can’t work in an environment like that. Not the chairman of a party, neither a prime minister, neither a minister. One must make some kind of a choice, how serious this is. And, naturally, I have myself advised people in such situations to step aside; and thus I decided.

We need to create a new coalition, we have plans, we have ideas, and it’s not easy.

And then half your time goes for some nonessential stuff. Then, it’s better if someone else does it, someone who can concentrate on serious issues. Which is very human. And, after all, nobody is [made] of iron.

How far did the coalition talks reach, right now? Who’s taking over?

That you will know soon. Party decides. The negotiating team, the team has worked hard, so that ...

I mean, the situation has, in that sense, been a bit undefined as, in reality, there’s no official mandate for negotiations. Let’s say, there’s two kinds of negotiations. There’s a definite framework of time; its starts and then quickly and forcefully solutions are found. Here, there’s been the kind of consultations that have been very long and thorough and where I have participated.

Lots of standpoints are clear, that there’s common interests and that things could be done that were not possible to do in the former coalition. Clearly, there are the things where coalition partner’s interests differ from ours, but regarding these, then, compromises will be found. 

I think a very big work has been done. I assume this coalition will be created and everything will continue well.

Could creation of coalition and the government go very fast?

Should go, no need here to delay any longer.

After all of this, are you disappointed in Estonia now?

Don’t know, should not get too emotional...

Well I’m not, cannot be too unhappy with my life. There’s so many chances, and I think there’s more of such chances.

One must look and see and think: what are these options, what to do now. No, my whole life long I have managed to avoid becoming bitter, and I will avoid [it] this time as well. Not so bad, this.

This is the way politics are; not everything is black and white, and there’s always been the political attacks. When you have a long life and you have made lots of decisions during that life, when you have met lots of people in different eras...

What’s bad, however, is that… basically, political attacks against politicians happen, past, present, future.

These are everywhere, Estonia is no exception.

Yes, nothing extraordinary here.

But still, I’m saying this: there are people in Estonia who have made it part of political culture; this is what really disturbs me.

You came as a Messiah and now you run!

Run, eh! Going back to do my job, I guess.

Leaving as a martyr? Or who?

No, let’s not [go there] now. What martyr. I’m leaving as one who did not succeed. This time.

The option of you becoming President of Estonia, this is out of the question now also?

That’s true.