Estonian parliament backs Kristen Michal as new prime minister

Jul 22. () –

The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) has given the ‘green light’ to Kristen Michal as the new Prime Minister and has charged her with the mission of forming a new Government following the resignation of her predecessor, Kaja Kallas, who has headed to Brussels to serve as High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, replacing Josep Borrell for the new legislature.

Michal has received the support of 64 of the 101 deputies in the Riigikogu, while another 27 have voted against giving the current climate minister the task of forming a government, according to a statement from the Estonian parliament.

Parliament held an extraordinary session on Monday to address the issue, with Michal placing particular emphasis on the security situation in the Baltic country following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Estonia shares nearly 300 kilometres of border with Russia.

“The security, the Estonian economy and the livelihood of our people have been affected. Along with this, the country’s financial situation has been affected,” Michal said during the session, where he regretted that Tallinn has “neglected taking many decisions” of its own in recent years.

Michal has announced his intention to raise taxes in Estonia, because, even though he knows that it may be an unpopular measure, “uncertainty has an even greater and more damaging effect.” The new prime minister will have to present his cabinet later in the day and will have to be approved by the president, Alar Karis.

Karis himself last week asked Michal of the Reform Party to form a government after Kallas’ departure. He had already hinted at the possibility of a repeat of the three-party coalition of reformists, social democrats and the liberals of Estonia 200.