Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas not going to resign
After a meeting with the Reform Party’s leadership, Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas said on Tuesday that he didn’t intend to resign and would instead wait for the outcome of the vote of no confidence against him scheduled for Wednesday.
Rõivas said to journalists after the meeting that he wouldn’t let Estonia take a left turn without a fight. He would not resign without a vote, he said, adding that he wanted to “look the members of the Riigikogu in the eye when they vote in favor of moving to the left”.
That the coalition was finished was clear, the prime minister added. He would submit to a vote of no confidence against him as soon as possible, before which he would make a political statement, he announced.
The opposition submitted a motion to express the parliament’s lack of confidence in Rõivas’ government on Monday. With 41 signatories, it can be put to a vote. 51 votes are needed to force the government to resign.
The Reform Party’s coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SDE) and the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), had announced on Monday that they were leaving the government. They asked the prime minister to resign, and said that they were open to talks about a new coalition with the Center Party.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn