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The Estonian Center Party is to decide on Friday whether it will launch negotiations with the Reform Party in order to establish a coalition.
Center to decide over launching coalition talks with Reform on Friday
7th March 2019, 11:30
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Center Party chairman Jüri Ratas said after meeting with Reform Party leader Kaja Kallas on Wednesday evening that the Center Party will take two days in order to think and will decide on Friday whether it will start coalition negotiations with the Reform Party.
When asked how the talks went, Kallas said they went well. Also after meeting with Ratas, Kallas reiterated that she will not back away from the promise of raising everyone’s basic exemption to 500 euros.
Both Ratas and Kallas confirmed that they are not planning to double-cross each other.
The board of the election-winning Reform Party decided on Wednesday that the party will make a proposal to the Center Party, the runner-up in Sunday’s general election, for the formation of a government coalition.
Reform won Sunday’s elections, gaining 34 seats in the 101-seat Riigikogu. Center finished second with 26 seats and the Estonian Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) third with 19. The two smaller parties in the new five-party Riigikogu are Isamaa with 12 seats and the Social Democratic Party (SDE) with 10 seats.