Minister: No political party may hold an unconstitutional worldview
Minister of Social Affairs Tanel Kiik (Center) says that no party's worldview can be unconstitutional.
Commenting on remarks made by Minister of the Interior Mart Helme (EKRE) to German public international broadcaster Deutsche Welle's Russian-language portal, Kiik told ETV current affairs show "Ringvaade" Sunday evening that as things stand at the moment, Center's coalition partner the Conservative People's Party off Estonia (EKRE) is at a place where it wishes to put its own worldview stance above the constitution, and also current legislation and the government itself.
"As a member of the government, this is not possible," Kiik said.
"I think that no party's worldview can be unconstitutional. This is not permissible by law either. In other words, it is not possible to say that some people are worth more than others. Estonians are all equal before the law and the government members need to have that attitude towards them," Kiik added.
Kiik also said it is difficult to say how will the coalition of Center, EKRE and Isamaa will move forward from hereon in, adding that the situation is complicated.
"The fact is that EKRE's statements made on the morning of October 19 didn't help with the situation. The question isn't that somebody attacked EKRE's values. On the contrary, EKRE attacked the constitution. This is the core of the problem," Kiik went on, referring to finance minister Martin Helme's (EKRE) statements that the lack of trust lay at the feet of the prime minister.
Helme's interview with Deutsche Welle
Mart Helme gave an interview in Russian to journalist Konstantin Eggert where he stated that LGBT+ people in Estonia would be better off going to live in Sweden, when the attitude towards them would be more conducive.
Eggert also asked Helme whether he thought that LGBT+ people were likely to inundate Estonia at any point.
"They should flee to Sweden. They would have everything there and would be looked after better," Helme said.
"Do you view [LGBT+ people] with a hostile eye," Eggert asked. "Yes, my attitude towards them is unfriendly," Helme responded.
"Nowadays, that would be called homophobia," Eggert noted, a claim which Helme rejected.
"It isn't homophobia. I would say that the people who are saying that the referendum is not needed are 'heterophobic'. They are forcing themselves into the beds of heterosexuals, not the other way around. If they can carry out their homo-propaganda, then we should be allowed to employ another kind of propaganda," Helme replied.
The opposition Reform and Social Democratic parties are demanding Helme's resignation as a result of his words, and the non-parliamentary Estonia 200 and Green parties have also hit out at the interview, as has President Kersti Kaljulaid.
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Editor: Roberta Vaino, Andrew Whyte