PM Kallas on Reform Party ratings slump: I cannot shirk responsibility

Commenting on a notable slump in the Reform Party's rating in both Norstat and Turu-uuringute polls, Reform party head, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that it is impossible to run a government based on ratings and that tough times call for unpopular decisions.
"I understand that you are all fascinated by these ratings, but really, it is impossible to run a government based on poll results. The decisions we need to take are difficult and unpopular. But can we afford not to make them? We cannot!" Kallas told ERR Thursday.
She added that no one from the opposition has come up with an alternative solution to overcoming crises.
"I can appreciate that people do not like it. I also do not like making such decisions, but I simply have no other choice. Unlike the opposition, there is nowhere I can run from responsibility."
Kallas is the only candidate for Reform Party chair for its upcoming congress. Asked whether she believes the party is behind her all the way, the PM simply said, "yes."
She could not say whether the party's board elections might result in changes.
"The board election is underway. We have a lot of candidates. We can talk about different people's visions and how to move forward once it [the election] is done."
The results of Reform's board and chairman elections will be made public on November 18.
Reform drops from first to third in the polls
The ruling Reform Party dropped from first place to third most popular on 18 percent in Turu-uuringute's monthly poll published Thursday. The party still had a rating of 23 percent in October.
The prime minister's party also came in third in Norstat's Wednesday poll that looked at the last four weeks' aggregate results where it got 19 percent of the vote. Support for Reform was even lower during the last of those four weeks at just 16.7 percent.
The results of the November poll by Kantar Emor, which is commissioned by ERR, will be revealed the week after next.
The Reform Party took 31.2 percent of the vote and 37 seats in the parliament at the March Riigikogu elections.
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Editor: Urmet Kook, Marcus Turovski