Speaking to ERR, Klein said that he is not afraid of unpopular decisions. He promised to boost the image of the Järva County capital, increase cooperation with the city council's opposition, keep the city's cash flows stable as well as balance the city budget.

According to the newly elected mayor, the work will start with drawing up Paide's city budget, as he will only have one month to submit it to Paide City Council. The Central Estonian city's financial situation, however, is not good.

"We need to reduce economic costs by 10-15 percent; that's unavoidable," Klein said. "We won't be going after people's wages; people are a value, and we have to take care of people."

Opposition city council member Ründo Mülts (Isamaa), meanwhile, said that the city needs stable leadership.

"We believe it isn't normal that the City of Paide has seen a new mayor elected for the second time in two months," Mülts said. "The city needs stable leadership, order, the right thinking and proper direction, and we find that the changing of mayors like this where it's one today, another tomorrow, is not at all appropriate. If the coalition can't manage to provide stability, perhaps we should consider a change of power altogether in town."

According to ERR's Central Estonian correspondent Olev Kenk, Piret Moora (Reform) and Karl Jakobson (Center) were reelected deputy mayors of Paide.

Near simultaneous resignations

Less than two weeks ago, on October 20, Eimar Veldre (SDE) resigned as mayor of Paide at a city council meeting, describing the political situation in the city on social media at the time as "complicated."

Just days later, fellow Social Democrat Ele Enn likewise announced her resignation as mayor of Türi Municipality, noting that her last day in office would be on Wednesday, November 9.

Enn noted that she was not resigning over criticism from the opposition on the municipal council, but rather the fact that her family needs her more than politics do.

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