Ratas, who is also the Center Party’s chairman, said at the government’s Thursday press conference that Savisaar was a historian by education, and the agreement between the party and its former chairman therefore a good match.

“We’ve talked about ideas as well what he could do in this field. I think that researching the recent history of both the Popular Front of Estonia as well as that of the Center Party is certainly necessary for the members of the party, and I hope also interesting to the broader public,” the prime minister said.

Ratas added that the topic wasn’t a contractual requirement, but that it had been discussed with Savisaar.

Historian and long-time Center Party member Aadu Must told ERR on Wednesday that Savisaar without a doubt was the best-informed person there was in terms of the party’s history, and that the arrangement was sensible.

The party is paying Savisaar a salary as of Monday this week. Despite earlier hints to the contrary, the party decided against withholding part of it to make up for the amount of €117,000 it paid to the city of Tallinn in Savisaar’s place.

Savisaar had been ordered to pay back the amount for money out of the city’s coffers he had misappropriated to finance an election campaign.

According to the party’s secretary general, Jaak Aab, the amount they pay their former chairman is below the €3,500 initially discussed, as they had also taken on the bulk of his legal costs, again well over €100,000. The matter brought the Center Party in such financial constraints that it is currently looking for a buyer for a house on Tallinn’s Toompea Hill that earlier served as its headquarters.