IRL chairman Tsahkna says no feud in government
IRL Chairman Margus Tsahkna said the Reform Party-SDE-IRL government is not locked in an internal conflict, adding that he hopes to solve the question of naming IRL's Juhan Parts as member of the European Court of Auditors with the Social Democrats (SDE) soon.
“The government is not in a feud, we only have one unanswered question,” he told Eesti Päevaleht.
He said the question of Parts's nomination has been overpoliticized. SDE blocked Parts's nomination, saying he has made many mistakes during his time as a minister, such as the Estonian Air case. Reports suggest and Tsahkna insist that the real reason is that Parts voted against the implementing acts of the Cohabitation Act, legislation which gives same-sex couples more rights.
According to Eesti Päevaleht and Delfi, the feud between IRL and SDE is greater than between some coalition members and opposition parties. The joint media organization speculated that either IRL or SDE will quit the government, or SDE is ejected for the Free Party or for Kadri Simson's Center Party followers in Parliament, adding that the question whether the government will continue in the current format, is likely to be answered in January.
Reparations thorn
Justice Minister Urmas Reinsalu, IRL, recently reopened the topic of Estonia demanding damages from Russia for the Soviet occupation. PM Taavi Rõivas, Reform Party, and FM Marina Kaljurand, a Reform Party-named minister but not a party member, both said Estonia will not go ahead with the project in the near future.
Tsahkna said there is no conflict, clarifying that Reinsalu meant the process will take decades in any case.
Editor: J.M. Laats