Coalition agreement signed

Photo: JAANUS LENSMENT/POSTIMEES

Chairman of the Center Party Juri Ratas, chairman of the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) Margus Tsahkna and chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) Jevgeni Ossinovski signed the coalition agreement in Toompea Castle, the seat of the Estonian parliament, on Monday.

The prime minister candidate of the incoming government is Center Party leader Juri Ratas. Kadri Simson will become minister of economic affairs and infrastructure, Mailis Reps minister of education and research, Martin Repinski minister of rural affairs and Mihhail Korb minister of public administration.

For SDE, Jevgeni Ossinovski will continue as minister of health and labor and Indrek Saar, as minister of culture. Sven Mikser has been nominated as minister of foreign affairs, Andres Anvelt, as minister of the interior, and Urve Palo, as minister of entrepreneurship and economic development.

The chairman of IRL, Margus Tsahkna, will get the defense portfolio and will be replaced as minister of social protection by the party's vice chair Kaia Iva. Marko Pomerants will continue as minister of the environment, Urmas Reinsalu as minister of justice and Sven Sester as minister of finance.

At the plenary sitting of the Riigikogu scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Ratas will give a presentation on the formation of the government and answer parliament members' questions, after which the Riigikogu will take a vote on granting him powers to form the government. Ratas needs a simple majority in the 101-member chamber to be approved.