Kallas: I Am Ready to Lead the Nation
EU Commissioner Siim Kallas confirmed that he is aiming to become the next prime minister, and has ruled himself out of the presidential race.
“The goal, which motivates me personally, is Estonia's rotation of the EU presidency in 2018. It is far more than the 1,000 meetings that will be organized […] It is an opportunity to show the so-called Old Guard of Europe how much better we are compared to them,” Kallas said in a letter to the Reform Party leadership that was published by Postimees on Tuesday evening.
He said that the Presidential election in 2016 holds no motivation for him.
In an interview with Delfi on Tuesday, the 65-year-old said that he will focus on long-term decisions for Estonia, win the trust of its citizens, and build a modern highway to connect Estonia to the rest of Europe.
Kallas said on Monday that he is ready to return to Estonian politics, after a decade in Brussels and the current Prime Minister, Andrus Ansip, welcomed the news, adding that Kallas would be a suitable successor to him.