Gallery: Kallas, Ratas sign coalition agreement
On Monday afternoon, the leaders of the Reform and Center parties, Kaja Kallas and Jüri Ratas, signed the coalition agreement between their two parties to form the incoming government.
The pair signed the agreement at 2.30 p.m. in the Riigikogu's White Hall, both wore masks, and then touched elbows rather than shaking hands. At 3 p.m., a sitting of the Riigikogu will begin which will authorize Kallas to form a government.
"The first thing that we will address is the health crisis," Kallas said after the coalition agreement was signed. "Any crisis can become a fertilizer for the future," she said. "The coalition agreement contains many ideas on how to make best use of the crisis for Estonia."
She explained that these ideas are about making the industry greener and making investments in the digital state. As third, she mentioned overcoming the mental crisis caused by the pandemic.
"Cooperation has been good to date," she said.
"It will be a very interesting and businesslike coalition," Ratas said, adding that also the new coalition must continue activities aimed at overcoming the pandemic.
"Efforts must be made to get the economy going again," Ratas said.
Kallas said that the topic of the implementing provisions of the Registered Partnership Act was discussed at the coalition negotiations at length.
She said that it was decided to seek a consensus of the Riigikogu on that topic.
"We will not come up with an initiative of the government, but will try and find broader-based support than [of the parties of] the coalition," the prime minister candidate added.
The president is scheduled to appoint the Kaja Kallas government to office at the president's office at Kadriorg at 8:44 a.m. on Tuesday.
From there, they will move on to the building of the Riigikogu on Toompea Hill in Tallinn's city center, where the government will take the oath of office.
Kallas will then become prime minister. Her government will have seven female ministers, eight men and a majority of 59 seats in the Riigikogu. Both parties will have seven ministers each.
Ratas will remain as chairman of the Center Party and member of the Riigikogu but does not have a position in the government. He resigned two weeks ago after corruption allegations were made against the Center Party, which triggered the resignation of the government.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Helen Wright
