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The vote of no confidence against Minister of Defense Kalle Laanet (Reform) failed with 57 votes against on Tuesday. The opposition admitted that the vote was aimed at putting pressure on the government in protest of its €60.4 million austerity plan as detailed in the state budget strategy (RES). Reform’s coalition partner the Center Party agreed with the opposition’s criticism, with members suggesting Center only supported Laanet in exchange for Reform dropping the cuts plan.
Laanet is so far the only minister to have unveiled a more detailed cuts plan in their administrative area. This partly followed pressure from Commander of the Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Martin Herem. Laanet revealed last week that the ministry plans to save €114 million over four years, including €71 million in operating expenses, and cut 270 jobs.
Kalle Laanet also became the first minister of the Reform-Center government to have a no-confidence motion brought against them – 134 days after the government took office. The motion was introduced by Isamaa and joined by Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) MPs.
Laanet was criticized for lying to the public concerning weakening national defense and undermining morale, the Defense Forces, Defense League and important national symbols.
After three hours of questions and negotiations, the motion of no confidence against Laanet failed. All 42 opposition delegates supported expressing no confidence in Laanet, while 57 coalition MPs were against. Andrei Korobeinik and Viktor Vassiljev (both Center) did not vote.
Laanet, who left the hall of the Riigikogu holding an imposing bouquet, said that the vote constituted run-of-the-mill domestic politics and the opposition trying to make the news.
“There is no basis to this criticism as defense spending is set to grow next year, and I find opponents’ attempts to paint this in a different light unstatesmanlike,” the defense minister said.
Representatives of the opposition said both before and after the vote that the outcome was to be expected. The goal was to put pressure on the government and send a signal that the austerity plan should be dropped.
Isamaa leader Helir-Valdor Seeder said that the aim was to send a message to the government that the state budget plan should be revised. “I’m not at all sure all of these cuts will materialize in the form they are presented in the fiscal strategy. That is why the time is right for a no-confidence motion and sending a strong parliamentary signal,” Seeder said.
“Votes of no confidence are the opposition’s way of directing attention to problems that have become critical and outmaneuver its political opponents. I think we were successful today in this light,” said EKRE chair Martin Helme, adding that he believes the Tuesday move serves as an opening for other political clouts.
Helme said that EKRE still aims to express no confidence in PM Kaja Kallas (Reform) and achieve a change of plans as concerns austerity. “It became clear once more today that it is the government’s policy and the PM is responsible. We still aim to bring a no-confidence vote against the head of government and demand explanation for these decisions,” Helme revealed.
The Social Democrats, who did not sign the motion but still joined it, also plan to express loss of confidence in the entire government. “This motion today is little more than noise as we all know where it will end up,” party lead Indrek Saar opined.
“Motions of no confidence need to be timed to have maximum effect. Our goal is to have these harmful decisions scrapped or reworked in the fiscal strategy,” he added.
University of Tartu political scientist Martin Mölder said that all such no-confidence motions are doomed to fail. “Rather, they serve the purpose of sending a signal and I’m sure the timing was considered to make sure the signal wouldn’t be devalued. Such hopeless motions were perhaps too many during the previous government’s time,” Mölder said.
Center Party MP Oudekki Loone said that Reform’s coalition partner only supported Laanet conditionally.
“The Center Party has always said that one cannot cut their way to prosperity. We have always been against cuts, whether in defense, social system, education or culture, and will continue to oppose austerity. Especially cuts that concern people,” Loone said, adding that Center expects the pointless cuts to be dropped.
Loone’s words were confirmed by deputy head of Center’s Riigikogu group Kersti Sarapuu.
Deputy head of Center Jaanus Karilaid said that Laanet is but a pawn in Reform’s austerity plan and that the latter needs to be revised. “Kalle Laanet is simply the victim of the agreement. Center has told its partner on several occasions that the cuts plan needs to be put on hold in the current situation. I believe that this common mistake made in the RES needs revisiting,” Karilaid said.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Postimees that there is no agreement with Center for dropping cuts.
“First quarter growth figures were encouraging to suggest, among other things, that our economy is viable and resistant to shocks, but we cannot start revising fiscal policy based on a single piece of news – we will be proceeding based on the agreed-upon timeline,” the PM said in a written reply.
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