Budget Talks Nearly Cracked Government Coalition, Ligi Reveals
Amid signs of tenser relations between the coalition parties, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi has revealed in an opinion article that heated budget talks in September led the Estonian government to the verge of collapse.
"In the final budget discussion, we adjourned to separate rooms to consider whether to end the raising of expenses or to end the government's cooperation," Ligi said in Eesti Päevaleht.
The will for cooperation prevailed, Ligi said, and is a strong sign that cooperation will go on for the time being.
"Still it did not help repair the concern that finances will one day be a political commodity," he said.
Ligi said the government has hesitated in times when unity is needed but decisions are unpopular.
He noted other recent issues of contention, including the Eerik-Niiles Kross case and broken down coalition talks in Tartu, which left IRL out of power.