MP: New Tallinn coalition can form without Center, EKRE

Tallinn City Council can form a coalition without the Center Party and EKRE, but only if Former Prime Minister Jüri Ratas leaves Center, said Raimond Kaljulaid (SDE), a member of the Tallinn City Council and Riigikogu.
"To make it clear. Without [Tanel] Kiik and [Andre] Hanimägi, the Centre Party only has 34 members in Tallinn City Council. If Ratas also goes, there will be 33. EKRE has six. So, 33+6=39, so it is possible to leave both the Centre Party and EKRE in opposition. You don't need either of them to run the city," Kaljulaid said.
Tallinn City Council has 79 seats and 40 is needed for a majority. At the moment, Center, which has been in government in the capital for over 20 years, and SDE are in coalition.
Kaljulaid told ERR, in his opinion, Center should removed from power but this is not the official position of SDE.
For example, SDE's Tallinn City Council faction Chairman Jevgeni Ossinovski and Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Madle Lippus have said the coalition should continue.
Kaljulaid said SDE's board has not met since Kiik and Hanimägi left Center and joined the party, so he does not know how many people agree with him.
Ossinovski told ERR on Tuesday that the capital's coalition is functioning and SDE wants to continue with Center.
"There are people in our ranks who would prefer a different power structure in Tallinn. But politics is a rational field of action, and like or dislike categories are not the basis for our decisions," he said.
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Editor: Helen Wright