Raik, a former interior minister, received 18 votes to former mayor Aleksei Jevgarov's 11, ending a power vacuum which has existed at the Narva city council chambers since mid-November, when Jevgarov was removed after a vote of no-confidence, and city council chair Irina Janovitš also resigned. Much of the political in-fighting in Narva revolved around the Center Party and a breakaway local group; Raik is a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDE).

Raik's appointment requires two replacements, one for her Riigikogu seat, which she applied to vacate Tuesday, and one for her previous city council seat.

Eduard Odinets will take the first, and Vladminir Izotov will replace Raik in the second of these, ERR's online news in Estonian reports.

Raik signed a coalition agreement with the "Our Home, Narva" group, formed in 2018 after breaking away from the Center Party, in late November.

Center's Narva branch leader, Yana Toom MEP, had faced pushback from Center members for what they called irregular appointments of councilors to the Center Party. These included Jevgarov and Janovitš and several other councilors who were either joining, or rejoining, Center.

One ballot paper was spoiled and there was one abstention in the vote.

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