Suslov said that his management experience with the police and with Keila city government provides a strong basis to his new role.

He said: "As Secretary General, I can contribute even more to the progress of the organization than it had already made".

"The upcoming election period is especially interesting. The goal is to lead the Reform Party as a strong team into the Riigikogu elections, and to win them again."

Suslov has been a Reform MP since early 2021 and as noted was active in local government and in running the party in Keila, near Tallinn.

Outgoing party secretary Erkki Keldo said: "I will surely stay active both within the party and in politics, but I feel it is time to bring fresh ideas to the organization's management."

Keldo will continue as the party's deputy whip at the Riigikogu, he said, and will be running at the March 2023 general election.

"The party is on solid ground - our finances are in order, preparations for the Riigikogu elections have begun and work on the campaign, program and compiling the electoral lists is in full swing," Keldo, who became Reform's secretary general in November 2018, went on.

The next Riigikogu election is on March 5 2023.

Reform won the largest number of seats of any single party (34) at the last general election, in March 2019, though the party found itself locked out of coalition negotiations as the Center Party entered office with the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) and Isamaa. Reform entered the current coalition with Center after the previous lineup collapsed, in January 2021.

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