Prime minister calls on party leaders to put differences aside

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) has called a meeting with heads of political parties to try and overcome domestic tensions due to the war and security crisis in Ukraine.
"On Thursday, I proposed to the chairmen of the parliamentary parties to sit down and bury the domestic political hatchet. We will discuss this on Friday at 2.30 pm.," Kallas said at an extraordinary government press conference.
"We have a lot of tension in society and perhaps we will agree that we will not exacerbate these tensions. Considering that we now need to protect ourselves as a nation and support each other."
The coalition is made of two parties, Reform and Center, with Kallas leading the party with the most seats in the parliament. The opposition is made up of EKRE, Isamaa and the Social Democrats.
Before the war in Ukraine, parties had been at odds over rising electricity and utility bills and coronavirus restrictions. The next Riigikogu election will take place in March 2023.
Update
Kallas made proposals to the leaders to refrain from arguing over coronavirus restrictions, to maintain political consensus on the reception of war refugees, not to incite tensions between ethnic groups and to develop proposals to strengthen national defense.
She said: "The behavior of politicians also affects people's mood and sense of security. It is our duty to ensure a stable and balanced environment for the people of Estonia, and it is our responsibility to remain calm and avoid unnecessary additional tensions in society."
The prime minister also said Estonia must be prepared for hybrid threats.
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Editor: Helen Wright