New Coalition Will Split Two Ministries
With coalition talks between the Reform Party and Social Democrats drawing to a close, the parties have decided to create two new ministerial posts to fashion a more flexible cabinet.
While the number of ministries remains the same, the posts of the minister of economic affairs and the minister of social affairs will be split in two.
The ministry of economic affairs will gain a minister of economic affairs and infrastructure and the minister of foreign trade and entrepreneurship, while the seat of the minister of social affairs will be split into the minister for health and labor and the minister for social welfare.
Sven Mikser, the head of the Social Democrats, was the only minister to be named, taking charge of the Ministry of Defense. The Social Democrats will also get the positions of the minister of education and research, minister of agriculture, and minister of justice and the seat of the speaker of Parliament, ETV reported on Monday.
The Social Democrats will also get the new ministerial positions of social welfare and minister for economic affairs and infrastructure.
The Reform Party will keep the seats of prime minister, foreign minister, minister of finance, minister of the environment, and minister of culture, and add the minister of the interior, minister of foreign trade and entrepreneurship and minister of health and labor, the latter two being the two new ministerial positions created in the ministries of economic affairs and social affairs, respectively.
The new cabinet will not include the position of the minister of regional affairs, previously a position without portfolio under the ministry of the interior.
Eiki Nestor, head of the parliamentary faction of Social Democrats, will probably be named as parliament speaker.
According to prime ministerial candidate Taavi Rõivas, the change was made after the example of Finland to enable ministers to lead fields in a more flexible way without limiting them to certain ministries.