Karis: It's up to that person, whether to discuss Kallas' resignation publicly
According to President Alar Karis, he stands by his earlier words that a representative of a coalition party expressed the opinion during a meeting with the president that the solution to the deadlock in Riigikogu could be the resignation of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform).
"I stand by what I said: it was not only the opposition that felt this way or expressed this idea," Karis told ERR on Friday.
"I think it's up to that person [to say so], if they think it is necessary," Karis said when asked who the coalition representative was. "I was reflecting on the atmosphere that prevailed during the meetings," the president added.
The topic was also discussed in a lengthy interview on Vikerraadio on Friday, during which Karis met with SDE parliamentary group leader Jevgeni Ossinovski.
"I have no certainty that it (Kaja Kallas' resignation - ed.) could solve it, but it would certainly bring some dynamic change in politics if the government were to change or reshuffle," Ossinovski said.
President Alar Karis met with parliamentary party representatives on Tuesday and Wednesday and held a press conference afterward, saying, "there were party leaders, and not only from the opposition, who thought that the resignation of the prime minister could be one of the ways forward."
At the government's press conference on Thursday, both the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDE), Lauri Läänemets, and the deputy leader of Eesti 200, Kristina Kallas, denied that their party could have sent such a message to the president.
The communications department of the president's office also refused to say who had proposed Kallas' resignation.
"Politicians offered ideas that could lead to or contribute to the restoration of the parlament's normal functioning during the descussion on domestic policy, which was initiated by the president of the republic and at which the head of state met with representatives of all parliamentary parties. These were private talks," the president office said.
President Alar Karis was joined by Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu, Mihhail Kõlvart, the leader of the Center Party and Martin Helme, the leader of EKRE. On the coalition side, Erkki Keldo (Reform), Toomas Uibo (Eesti 200) and Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) met with the president, who also met last week with the speaker of the Riigikogu, Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200).
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Editor: Kadri Põlendik, Kristina Kersa
