IRL to give ministerial portfolios to Reinsalu, Sester, Pomerants, Tsahkna

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The ministerial portfolios given to Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) under the three-party coalition deal will go to Urmas Reinsalu, Sven Sester, Marko Pomerants and Margus Tsahkna, the party's governing board decided on Monday.

The lineup has yet to be approved by the extended board of IRL.

According to the board's decision, chairman of IRL Urmas Reinsalu will become minister of justice, vice chairman of the former Riigikogu's finance committee Sven Sester minister of finance, Marko Pomerants minister of environment and Margus Tsahkna, vice chairman of the former Riigikogu's social affairs committee, minister for social protection.

The extended board of IRL is scheduled to gather on Tuesday evening to endorse the decisions of the board.

The Reform Party will be responsible for seven areas in the new Estonian government and its coalition partners Social Democratic Party (SDE) and IRL for four areas each, the leaders of the three parties decided Monday.

Reform stands to get the positions of prime minister, foreign minister, minister of economic affairs and infrastructure, interior minister, minister of rural affairs, minister of education and research and minister of public governance.

The portfolios going to SDE are those of defense, culture, health and labor, and foreign trade and entrepreneurship.

IRL will appoint the ministers of environment, finance, social protection and justice.

Negotiators of Reform, SDE and IRL reached agreement on the text of the coalition agreement Wednesday evening and on the cost of the government deal by Thursday evening. Since Friday the leaders of the three parties have been speaking about the division of ministerial portfolios.

The coalition deal may be signed on Wednesday provided that the extended boards of all the three parties have approved it by then.

The three parties command 59 seats in the 101-seat Riigikogu. According to the result of the March 1 general elections the Reform Party has 30 seats, the Center Party 27, the Social Democratic Party 15, the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union 14, the Free Party eight and the Estonian Conservative People's Party seven seats in the new parliament.

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