Kallas: No regrets over u-turn on PM ambition
Siim Kallas said that he does not regret renouncing prime ministerial ambitions at the beginning of the year, as otherwise he would have put his party and its coalition partner in a difficult place.
“I know that all sort of mystical and conspiratorial stories have circled around. I have heard unbelievable stories. But there was no conspiracy,” Kallas told ERR radio about the events which led him to drop aspirations to return to Estonia and take over government from Andrus Ansip.
According to Kallas, he has advised former government ministers that if they come under extensive attack, they will spend their time protecting themselves and cannot focus on important state questions, and it would be better to step back.
The Reform Party and its coalition partner would have had to explain to voters about attacks against him, Kallas said.
Shortly before Kallas was due to take Andrus Ansip's seat as the head of the government, Eesti Päevaleht published a story, which said that 20 years ago, the Bank of Estonia, which was led by Kallas at the time, gave out loan guarantees topping 1 billion kroons (64 million euros).
Kallas admitted now that the move was stupid and politicians in Estonia 20 years ago were very receptive to huge risks.