Ossinovski: Coalition will not fall apart
The scandal involving the husband of Kaja Kallas will not bring down the government, the leader of the Social Democrats' parliamentary faction, Jevgeni Ossinovski, said. Margus Tsahkna, the head of the Eesti 200 government delegation, said restoring trust is essential.
Margus Tsahkna, the minister of foreign affairs and chair of the Eesti 200 government delegation, said that it is important to restore trust in the current situation.
"The only prudent course of action would be for the husband of the prime minister to sever all ties with the company doing business in Russia. This will help resolve the confidence crisis and restore public trust," he said.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas' husband, entrepreneur Arvo Hallik, announced in a statement to the media on Friday that he was giving up his stake in logistics company Stark Logistics and confirmed that Kaja Kallas was not knowledgeable about his business activities.
The credibility of the prime minister has been compromised, Jevgeni Ossinovski, leader of the Social Democratic faction in the Riigikogu, said.
"The credibility of the government as a whole has been brought into question, but I have confidence that the prime minister can provide exhaustive explanations," Ossinovski said.
Ossinovski said that the current coalition will not fall apart.
"We have no serious problems or complaints about the coalition parties. We hope that we can continue with this government," he said.
"In terms of moral and political responsibility, Kaja Kallas and the Reform Party each have questions to answer," Tsahkna added.
The opposition Center Party has resolved to begin impeachment proceedings against Kaja Kallas in the Riigikogu, as they did not find her explanations convincing.
"Since there has been a war for over a year and a half, our prime minister and other politicians have pushed hard for sanctions to be enforced and for all business with Russia to cease — for a moral compass to be found. At the same time, the company of the prime minister's husband's has continued to deliver (to Russia - ed.), and now, after this crisis has erupted, he has begun selling shares — too little, too late," said Tanel Kiik, chair of the Center Party group.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Kristina Kersa