Editorial: Sven Mikser throws Taavi Rõivas a tough nut to crack

Photo: Liis Treimann

It is becoming increasingly obvious that Taavi Rõivas is no new Andrus Ansip – as to longevity being Prime Minister.

By Jevgeni Ossinovski rising to top soc dem status, the coalition is in a situation markedly stupid. Up to now, all talk of power treaty to be «opened» i.e. negotiations launched anew was limited to inside opposition in the parties. No, the chief «opener» leads a coalition party. At that, those running for IRL chairmanship declare the «opening» to be a good idea. With bravado, Mr Ossinovski adds that he could perfectly envision a coalition without Reform.

No matter the motives for Sven Mikser withdrawing his candidacy to run for party leadership thus opening the way for Mr Ossinovski, Mr Rõivas will soon face the reality of being the only coalition party chairman whose name and reputation are tied to the existing treaty. By bowing out to Mr Ossinovski, Mr Mikser left Mr Rõivas alone at the helm of a coalition tank with bleak outlook. As for Mr Mikser and the current ITL chairman Urmas Reinsalu, they may pretty soon just shrug their innocent shoulders: we aren’t chairmen, we’re mere ministers. Mr Rõivas, however, will be forced to fight like crazy to emerge alive from the political reality brewing.

Following the March 1^st elections, for a whole month we were spectators to the negotiations. Evening by evening, the announcement kept being repeated: «Until all is agreed, nothing is agreed.» Scarce indeed were the moments when it felt like all was finally agreed: limited to the day they gave the signatures, and perhaps the moment when the fixed tax package was sent to parliament.

In the current new situation, the inner strengths and weaknesses of the treaty aren’t the main thing perhaps. Rather, it’s the prevailing impression that Mr Rõivas and his advisers made a resounding mess by the tactics they opted to employ. Opponents in other parties and no doubt in Reform ranks are happy to hear the noise and are doing their utmost to turn up the volume.

Clearly, «opening» the coalition treaty is a risky political game. Mr Rõivas might save skin by making concessions to partners which, the way things are going, is risky as well – reputation-wise. Much easier it would have been to do that while the marathon negotiations were still dragging on. Let’s herewith remember that those for the «opening» within Reform stand for diametrically different demands than Soc Dems, for instance. 

For top squirrel, what a tormentingly tough political nut to crack.