Kaljulaid: Jüri Ratas and I share a rather similar worldview
President Kersti Kaljulaid said on the Vikerraadio "Reporteritund" program that she shares a similar worldview with President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas (Center).
Host Mirko Ojakivi asked the former president to comment on Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas' invitation to join her party.
"I can tell you that my mailbox has a lot of such invites. And from very interesting parties, where you would not expect. But it is not worth going into right now. I'm trying to figure out what it is Estonia should do before I start looking for a way to influence those decisions. It does not have to be active politics," Kaljulaid said.
Eesti 200 backed Kaljulaid for a second term before the 2021 presidential election.
Ojakivi then brought up a speech Jüri Ratas gave at the recent Center Party council meeting where he highlighted the rise of Eesti 200 in Estonian politics and, more importantly, the invitation Kallas extended to Kaljulaid.
"Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas invited [former] President Kersti Kaljulaid to join politics in a recent Eesti Päevaleht interview. I believe it to be a serious and positive proposal. Every new person can lend our politics new blood and ideas," Ratas said.
Kaljulaid said that she shares a rather similar view of the world with Ratas.
"I know that journalists are interested in pinpointing differences and discord, while Jüri Ratas also sees Estonia as part of Europe and NATO. He understands the important of having a secure future, having secure communication networks. To have solutions that are controlled by the democratic world," Kaljulaid said.
"We have no disagreements when it comes to all of this. I have gathered that Jüri Ratas is also worried about segregation in the Estonian school system and thinking of solutions," the former president added.
Kaljulaid said that politicians sporting different tactical approaches could have a lot in common fundamentally.
The relationship between Ratas and Kaljulaid has not always been stellar as the former has avoided contact and suggested Kaljulaid was a divisive president for Estonia. The Center Party was opposed to Kaljulaid continuing as president.
Talking about Ukraine's westward course, Kaljulaid said that the country will join the EU before it joins NATO.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski