IRL, Reform Parties Announce Candidates for European Parliament
The ruling parties have announced candidates for European Parliament elections.
Urmas Reinsalu, as expected, handily won re-election as IRL chairman during the party's congress over the weekend. Reinsalu, who currently Estonia's defense minister, said he won't stand for European Parliament. The party's slate of candidates will include instead Eerik-Niiles Kross, veteran incumbent Tunne Kelam, Marko Mihkelson, Ene Ergma and Yoko Alender.
As for the Reform Party, European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas says he won't run as a candidate for European Parliament elections, but his daughter, MP Kaja Kallas, announced she is considering it.
Barring fallout from several unresolved financial cases dating from his tenure as central bank governor in the 1990s, Kallas is instead expected to make a run for Estonian president in 2015.
The Reform Party's candidate list at this point consists of Margus Hanson, Igor Gräzin, Aivar Sõerd, Laine Randjärv, Urmas Klaas and Rait Maruste. The party will finalize its list on March 2 at their annual congress.