The Reform Party wants to reinstate the powers of Andres Sutt, who had been serving as minister, as a member of the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board, due to which Ligi must withdraw from the supervisory board.

Reform whip Mart Võrklaev sent a letter to Bank of Estonia supervisory board chair Mart Laar in which he explained that on June 15, 2020, the Riigikogu appointed Andres Sutt a member of the supervisory board of the Bank of Estonia.

"In connection with Andres Sutt's appointment as minister of entrepreneurship and IT on January 26, 2021, his powers as a member of the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board were suspended," Võrklaev wrote. "Andres Sutt's powers as MP were restored on July 19, 2022. In this regard, Andres Sutt's powers as a member of the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board were restored as well."

When Sutt took up his position as minister of entrepreneurship and IT, the Reform Party nominated Jürgen Ligi as a member of the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board.

While appointment to the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board typically requires a proposal by the Riigikogu's Finance Committee to nominate a candidate and thereafter Riigikogu approval, the Reform Party is exploring opportunities to reinstate Sutt on the board without going through these procedures.

Sutt told ERR that he's being sent back to the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board because his mandate as minister ended.

"That should be the logic, and that is also the reason," he explained. "My powers were suspended when I joined the government as minister, as these offices are incompatible. And that is also the reason why a letter was sent from the parliamentary group to restore my powers. There's nothing more to it."

ERR asked whether this doesn't require a proposal by the Finance Committee and the approval of the Session Hall of the Riigikogu. "So jurists believe," Sutt replied. "But I haven't yet heard feedback from the Bank of Estonia either."

Ligi told ERR that his own appointment to the central bank's supervisory board required the approval of the Riigikogu as well, but was unable to say what this process should look like now without it.

"Andres would certainly be happy to be there," Ligi said. "His powers were suspended on becoming minister, and consequently should seem to be restored upon his return. But how this restoration will take place, I can't say, because I believe my own appointment was a Riigikogu decision, not anything automatic. I can't say what this legal mechanism will end up being exactly."

ERR asked Ligi whether he himself would like to remain a member of the central bank's supervisory board. "My will is not decisive here," he replied.

"Of course this would be a help for me, and I have always made policy based on the Bank of Estonia's expert analyses, so I have no reason to leave there on my own," Ligi continued. "But if [Sutt's] powers are automatically or semi-automatically restored, then it's of no importance what I think."

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!