Value crisis: Center and EKRE knock each other’s teeth in

Mart Helme. Photo: Tairo Lutter

An interview Minister of the Interior Mart Helme (EKRE) gave to Deutsche Welle has given rise to a government crisis the partners are not finding easy to solve. A coalition MP said that Center and the Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) have knocked each other’s teeth in, figuratively speaking, while the role of minority coalition partner Isamaa is more that of an onlooker.

Minister of the Interior Helme gives an interview in Russian to German media where he praises Sweden for its benevolent view of LGBT people – that is one way last week’s most prominent interview could be remembered. It is, however, unlikely as the interior minister also said he looks unfavorably on people sporting a different sexual orientation and made it sound like he wants them to leave Estonia.

Assurances by EKRE chair, Minister of Finance Martin Helme that his father’s interview was mistranslated, translation analyses and grammatical nuances did little to alter Helme’s point that left the Estonian LGBT community ruffled. Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center) was also resolute when he said these are not the values the coalition has agreed on. This was interpreted by Martin Helme as a knife in the back.

Talks failed to provide a solution

Because EKRE is trying to save face and not give in to the demands of its partners, the finance minister presented Center with an ultimatum that would see the coalition go along with Mart Helme. “We will not be recalling Mart. If the PM decides to do that, we will leave the coalition, while we will also leave should the Riigikogu bring a vote of no confidence. This government will not move forward without Mart,” Martin Helme said.

The situation took a turn for the critical after the EKRE chairman’s statement. Helme’s words took Center by surprise and came off as a breach of political culture. Even though coalition council meetings on Monday failed to provide a solution, they gave parties time to cool off. Representatives of all three partners appeared before the press and said an attempt would be made to solve the crisis together. “The situation inside the coalition is complicated, everyone admits that much. We are working to find a solution – we need to continue looking for that potential solution today and tomorrow or as long as we still have the will. We will not be solving these matters in front of cameras,” PM Ratas said after the coalition council made up of the chairmen of the coalition parties met on Monday.

A Center MP said that while it is still possible to restore harmony in the coalition, it will be difficult, adding that Martin Helme’s tantrums are opening doors for the opposition Reform Party. “Being a member of a coalition, you need to be able to include partners in your considerations and refrain from insulting them,” they said.

A member of Isamaa said on Monday afternoon that the conflict is mainly between Center and EKRE and that both will need to make sacrifices to save face this time. They could not say what those sacrifices could be. The politician added that the crisis at hand does not compare to previous ones where one could simply repair the cavity and move on, figuratively speaking, as there are no teeth left to fix this time.

An EKRE MP said that while the situation is bad, these things need to be given time – a solution will be found provided there is time for deliberation. They added that while the two initial meetings to discuss the crisis failed to provide results, there might be many more to come.

The opposition content to wait

Opposition Reform Party politician Eerik-Niiles Kross told Postimees that it is possible nothing will happen as the prime minister has long since lost all face. “There is very little room to fall left. I’m sure they will find another pathetic compromise to stay in power,” he added.

Chairman of the non-parliamentary Estonia 200 party Kristina Kallas said that the key to solving the situation rests with the Reform Party. “They could now offer Center a solution where they could both work to promote Estonia’s credibility and international reputation. The Reform Party should not shirk responsibility here as the largest party in the Riigikogu,” Kallas found.

Reform Party chair Kaja Kallas said that they will wait and see what the coalition decides. She added that the opposition has the votes it needs to bring a vote of no confidence against Mart Helme in the Riigikogu. Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE) Indrek Saar said that his party is ready support alternative coalition options that do not include EKRE and be part of a potential government themselves.