Daily: Ossinovski-Ligi Feud a Two-Way Insult Slam
The bad blood between two Cabinet members has some history, Postimees reported, with Education Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski engaging in similarly over-the-top language in a Facebook attack on Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi.
While Jürgen Ligi is facing calls for his resignation for calling Ossinovski a "rootless" and "Ignorant" "immigrant's son from the pink party," Ossinovski lashed out memorably at Ligi in a Facebook status on February 5, also after a "Foorum" panel show, the daily said.
"Being Finance Minister is clearly more than what Jürgen Ligi is emotionally equipped to handle. You can look for yourself on ETV tonight, but the finance minister acted like a snotnosed teenager with a Napoleon complex giving his dad some sass," wrote Ossinovski.
This was before the two were in the same government; the Social Democrats were still in the opposition.
The context to that panel discussion was that Ligi allegedly interrupted then Education Minister Jaak Aaviksoo with the interjection, "But I gave the teachers some money, didn't I?"
The exchange with Ossinovski has a chicken-or-the-egg quality to them, and may have been instigated by Ligi, though.
Ossinovski also attributed some off-camera remarks to Ligi from that February panel. Ligi allegedly was cross with MP Mailis Reps, calling himself a "human geographer." Don't talk to me about the birth rate, I'm a human geographer, I know where and who is giving birth. And they say you're a smart person." He continued, also allegedly: "What are you prattling on about the negative birth rate - go and make some kids."