Liimets told ERR, that he was offered a place on the list by EKRE member Riho Breivel, who is himself the second candidate on the party's Ida-Viru county list. Liimets will be fourth, with Andrus Toss third. EKRE's list in Ida-Viru County is headed by former Minister of Rural Affairs Arvo Aller.

"He offered me this opportunity and I thought, why not," said Liimets.

Liimets added, that since he has not been asked to become a member of EKRE, he does not plan to do so any time soon. "I have a habit whereby, if I leave one party and go to another, I have a gap of a couple of years," he said.

"These parties are quite similar if you look at it from a political science point of view. The big difference between the parties is more about the top politicians. I don't worry too much about it. My outlook doesn't need to change very much and it isn't going to," said Liimets, who was a member of Reform for 26 years.

Liimets described his own worldview as right-wing, rather than idealistic. He does not support the distribution of subsidies by the state to cope with high prices, but thinks that conditions should be created so that people and businesses do not have problems in the first place. "This should come in the form of pension or wage increases, or even by reducing energy prices," he said.

Liimets also said that Katri Raik (SDE), who confirmed on Monday that she will not run for election to the Riigikogu next spring, would not have taken many votes away from him. Instead, he believes Yana Toom, who is the number two candidate on Center's Party list in Ida-Viru County is a serious competitor. However, according to Liimets, Kaido Höövelson, who is also on Center's list in Ida-Viru County, is less well-known to the local electorate.

Liimets suggested that, he believes EKRE could win at least two mandates in Ida-Viru County.

Ants Liimets was a member of the Reform Party for 26 years until being expelled on September 17 last year.. Upon becoming Mayor of Narva,

Liimets retained all members of the previous city administration apart from Reform Party colleague Sergei Gorlatš.

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