Helme: It is a government of pawns

Ministerial appointments in Kaja Kallas' incoming government show that fundamental decisions will be made in party backrooms and not on the ministry level, former head of the opposition Conservative People's Party (EKRE) Mart Helme finds.
"It is a government of pawns. These people – with a few exceptions, such as Keit Pentus-Rosimannus – will not be plotting the course of this government or be involved in making major financial decisions. All of these decisions will be made in party backrooms," Helme told ERR on Sunday.
"The effect of ministers on the government's course and decisions will be minimal," the politician found.
He pointed to outgoing Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and coalition delegation head Mailis Reps (both Center) neither of whom will be part of Kallas' government.
Asked about EKRE's plans in the opposition, Helme said: "We will not be as unintelligent as Reform and the Social Democratic Party (SDE) were."
He said that EKRE will not have it easy in the parliament because the opposition is uneven and EKRE and SDE have very clear ideological differences. "There is a handful of dissidents inside Isamaa too, meaning that we will have to count on acting as a separate phenomenon, while we will not be making any concessions to the left-liberal government, especially in ideological matters," Helme promised.
The names of ministers of the incoming Reform-Center coalition were announced on Sunday.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski