Michal on support for Kallas: 68 percent of vote is strong mandate
Kaja Kallas received fewer votes than some board members in the Reform Party's election for chair and board, and some people did not vote at all for the chair, but Kristen Michal, who was elected to the board, said this does not show a lack of support.
931 members voted to elect the chair, which means that 295 abstained from voting. According to Michal, this does not indicate anti-Kallas sentiment.
No reason should be drawn from the fact that both Michal and Hanno Pevkur received more board election votes than Kallas.
Even the fact that both Hanno Pevkur and Michal received a greater number of votes in the board elections is also not telling, Michal said.
"Two are two very distinct elections within the party: the leadership election, where, as is generally the case for our party, no one stands against the sitting prime minister, and the chair election, where those whose policies, actions and messages resonate most within the party and who are expected to play an active role in leading the party are selected. These are different categories," he said.
Michal called Kallas's result, 636 votes, a strong mandate.
"Balancing the budget at a time when the economy is cooling is certainly a very difficult undertaking and the prime minister is inevitably a pawn in this game, as is the minister of finance (Mart Võrklaev, who did not get on the board - ed.). There are certainly discussions among members, but I would not draw strong conclusions from this election result; 68 percent of the vote for Kaja Kallas as party leader is a strong mandate," he said.
Michal said Kallas has not discussed her possible leaving for another position.
"If the party chair and prime minister ever decides to run for another position, the party will certainly support her. Today, she has made no such statement to us," he said.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Kristina Kersa
