Most Estonian MEPs have no comment on Pentus-Rosimannus' ECA nomination
Most of Estonia's seven MEPs were non-committal about the prosepct of finance minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus (Reform) becoming Estonia's next representative at the European Court of Auditors (ECA), replacing Juhan Parts, whose term finishes at the end of this year.
While ERR did not poll Pentus-Rosimannus two party-mates, Andrus Ansip and Urmas Paet, who are both MEPs, only Jaak Madison (EKRE) took a strong line, one of opposition.
Madison said: "I don't support her candidacy, and I think that if I don't, our political group at the European Parliament won't support it either."
Madison sits with the Identity and Democracy grouping at the 705-seat European Parliament (sitting with one of the political groups is mandatory, even for independents).
"I don't see any special advantages that Keit Pentus-Rosimannus might bring to the Estonian state at the European Court of Auditors. For me, this is a purely political broiler, or a golden handshake, having been involved in all kinds of financing schemes concerning the Reform Party in the last 20 years. And in addition, this relates is a to this total globalist of the EU, which also completely contradicts my worldview," added Madison.
Madison said that he thought Riho Terras (Isamaa) and the EPP group to which he belongs would probably not support Pentus-Rosimannus' candidacy either, nor would, he said, Yana Toom, though the Renew group as a whole (which both Toom and the two Reform Party MEPs, Paet and Ansip, belong to) might do.
Madison said he thought the two Social Democratic (SDE) MEPs from Estonia, would back the finance minister as new ECA representative, though Kaljurand told ERR she had no comment on the matter, while ERR was unable to reach Mikser.
Terras said: "I don't know about this topic and I don't want to comment on it," though his party's leader, Helir-Valdor Seeder, has opposed Pentus-Rosimannus' candidacy (link in Estonian).
Similarly, Yana Toom said that since the issue seemed distant to her, she was unable to make comment also.
Juhan Parts' term ends on December 31.
Pentus-Rosimannus was this week nominated by the government as his replacement.
The European Parliament could not yet state exactly when hearing from and voting on the Estonian candidate could take place.
The ECA despite its name is not a court, but rather an investigatory and audit agency.
Former President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid was Estonia's representative from 2004, when Estonia joined the EU, to 2016.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
