Mölder: If Reform does not support us, other options must be considered
The government has still not agreed on energy subsidies, Center Party MP Tõnis Mölder told the media on Monday. Reform does not support Center's proposals and believes other options must be considered.
"Kaja Kallas' message to the Center group was that she and their party [Reform] see - above all - that it is necessary to analyze the situation today, what support measures the government has and has not applied today, and that in two to three weeks we could come back to the question of whether or not something more needs to be done to compensate people," he said.
Mölder said this was not the answer the Center Party have been hoping for.
"The message from the Center Group was that in a crisis where people have been hit very hard, where businesses have been hit very hard, we do not have weeks to wait and carry out any analyzes, we would like to move forward as soon as possible," the MP said, adding the party wants to see serious and concrete proposals on the table.
Mölder said the party is not trying to create a government crisis: "Our goal is to help the people of Estonia".
"We can actually see today the measures that the government has implemented have significantly alleviated the situation of the people. But it is not enough," said Mölder.
The former minister of the environment said the party is waiting for discussions to end on Monday but is ready to discuss the next steps with the party's board.
Reform MP Jürgen Ligi told Vikerraadio's program "Uudis + on Monday that the discussions are still ongoing but suggested politicians' egos were getting in the way.
"Here, the ego of some men is more important than a reasonable state. We cannot predict exactly what will happen at the Coalition Council meeting at 1 p.m.," Ligi said.
"The ruling parties must adopt sensible policies. The possibilities of the state and the possibilities of common sense are limited," he added.
Ligi said the state has already promised to give hundreds of millions in support and future subsidies must be precisely targeted.
The discussions around energy support have been ongoing for several weeks but gained new impetus last week as people started receiving significantly higher energy bills for December.
The two coalition parties are trying to find a solution but are currently at loggerheads. Center wants to quickly issue more support, but Reform wants new measures to be targeted to help those most in need.
The opposition parties, who are also calling for new measures, are threatening to hold a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Kaja Kallas this week if a solution cannot be found.
Kallas apologizes to the Center Party
According to various sources, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) apologized to the Center Party for confusing communication.
The party's deputy Jaanus Karilaid confirmed Kallas had apologized. "These moments were sincere and driven by a desire to continue working together," he told ERR.
Karilaid said Reform had been too slow to respond to the problem and proposals. He hoped the council meeting would speed up the process.
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Editor: Helen Wright