Izmailova: Our MPs unaware where, when weighty decisions made in Eesti 200

Recently rebuked in an internal letter sent out by coalition Eesti 200 chair Margus Tsahkna, MP Züleyxa Izmailova confessed that most of the Eesti 200 parliamentary group doesn't know who is involved – and where, and when – in the party making such significant decisions as their about-face on supporting offshore wind farms.
ERR's online news portal has in its possession the letter Izmailova sent to Eesti 200's internal mailing list around midday Wednesday, in which she addressed the complaints that Tsahkna had raised in his own.
She wrote that she had been unpleasantly surprised when this letter sent to members of the party in Tsahkna's name hit Eesti 200's mailing list on Friday afternoon.
"First of all, the description of what happened within the parliamentary group [last] Wednesday was not accurate, omitting important issues that were discussed," Izmailova explained. "Second, the overview was one-sided, reflecting only the positions of individual participants and painting a picture as though the money management issues had been substantively resolved. Third, the email focused disproportionately on attacking my person."
Izmailova was bothered by the fact that Tsahkna's email ended up in ERR's possession and was summarized. However, it was for that reason that she decided to respond to Tsahkna via the party's internal mailing list in turn.
The MP started off by noting that Tsahkna's claim that clarity had been achieved at Wednesday's meeting regarding the use of funds is a premature one.
"We were not presented with accurate and complete statements from the party's accounts; we were not provided with overviews of the party's campaign expenses together with cost statements, nor with the minutes of [party] board decisions approving the use of funds," she recalled. "I and other members of the board hope that the documentation is indeed in order and that we'll soon be able to confirm as much for ourselves."
According to Izmailova, they were able to see at the meeting some sort of selection of wire transfers, which is clearly insufficient for establishing a complete picture and bearing liability as a member of the board.
"As for the social media campaign mentioned in Tsahkna's email, the explanations provided by [MP Marek] Reinaas and representatives of the advertising agency conflicted with one another," she continued. "The description provided by the ad agency representatives confirmed that the money in the social media campaign had been unevenly distributed between [party] MPs. The campaigns were organized without a board decision."
Izmailova then went on to comment regarding her prior interview with ERR's online news portal that had particularly bothered Tsahkna.
"Namely, I stated in an interview with ERR after Kalev Stoicescu had quit the board that the lack of transparency in the decision-making process has also spilled over from the party board to its parliamentary group too," she recalled. "When the journalist asked for an example of this, I mentioned the latest case, where the government, with the participation and allegedly the support, of our party, did a complete 180 on energy policy, which has received considerable criticism in recent weeks. I'm referring to the abandonment of the principle of technological neutrality in renewable energy reverse auctions and the preference for offshore wind farms, which are considerably pricier for taxpayers, costing according to some estimates up to €2.65 billion(!) over 20 years. Furthermore, this solution is slower, thus jeopardizing the achievement of renewable energy targets by 2030."
According to Izmailova, why and how such a decision was made is unknown and incomprehensible to both members of Eesti 200's parliamentary group and members of the party board.
"On top of the parliamentary group, also not involved in such weighty decisions was our representative on the [Riigikogu's] Economic Affairs Committee," she highlighted. "That is what I referred to in that interview as nontransparent conduct and leadership that is incomprehensible to me."
How things went not reflected in meeting minutes
The MP noted that in addition to the minister of economic affairs, it was Igor Taro that extraordinarily participated in the latest round of negotiations as Marek Reinaas' alternate, however these negotiations had taken place over a longer period.
"The minutes of the Eesti 200 parliamentary group November 22, 2023 meeting state that Minister [of Economic Affairs and IT Tiit] Riisalo would now be representing us in the coalition's energy security working group, and we had to find one person from the parliamentary group," she recalled. "We did not decide at the time who would represent us, although I alone put forward my candidacy. Not reflected in the minutes is that [party] chair Tsahkna ignored my candidacy and suggested that Reinaas or Toomas Uibo should join the working group. No decision was finalized, however."
According to Izmailova, this was followed by a lengthy silence, until suddenly it became clear that a decision had been made, and that it was decided in the final stage of negotiations held without the knowledge of the parliamentary group, the board and the party's leaders on environmental and economic issues that Taro as alternate has extraordinarily replaced Reinaas.
"That is why I made such a statement to the journalist, and it was just one example of an incomprehensible decision-making culture," she added.
She also stated that the claim made in Tsahkna's letter suggesting that someone from within party leadership had shared inside information with a journalist from daily Postimees was unfounded.
"The journalist confirmed to me and Kristina Kallas that the information about disagreements and Kalev Stoicescu's departure [from the party board] had not originated from the board," she explained. "This matter is besides the point, however, because why shouldn't party matters be discussed openly and transparently?"
Sorry for valuing transparency, openness as ideals
Izmailova said she is willing to apologize to Reinaas, as demanded by Tsahkna, but only if it is entirely clear that Reinaas really didn't have anything to do with the energy discussions.
"Back to the letter sent on behalf of the [party] chair, where on top of attacking me, I am clearly directed to apologize to Reinaas over what I said to ERR," she wrote. "If Reinaas had absolutely nothing to do with those energy discussions, then I am sorry. But Igor Taro's explanation that he participated in the final round of negotiations specifically as Reinaas' alternate prompted the logical assumption that there had been previous rounds, and that Reinaas represented us."
Izmailova stated that the problem lies in the fact that such questions must be speculated on based on isolated sentence fragments, and that most of Eesti 200's parliamentary group members don't even know who is involved – and where, and when – in the party preparing such significant decisions on the party's behalf.
"I also value the fact that the party and its governing bodies conduct themselves in an honest, transparent and also apparently so manner, as well as maintain an open and democratic organizational culture," the Eesti 200 MP and board member said, concluding her response to Tsahkna. "If one must apologize for this ideal and for asking even slightly more substantive questions, then yes, I am sorry."
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Editor: Aili Vahtla