"I cannot be a member of the party if there is no room for in-house democracy," Gräzin told ERR.

"The last straw was when I was made to understand that if I vote against Kõlvart, I will be evicted. That was the last drop," Gräzin said.

"It is an in-house terror regime. There is this custom in the Center Party of everyone voting the same way, which is quite harebrained at its core," the councilman added. "What is the point of being a member of the Center Party if you're not allowed to think for yourself. It reduces me to a robot who is told to raise its hand and then walk away," Gräzin remarked.

He recalled that going against the party's line never resulted in repercussions when he was still a member of the Reform Party.

"I'm now the best rider in Livonia (reference to Estonian cult classic "Viimne reliikvia") and a free agent. In other words, I will be going about my business as a council member," Gräzin said when asked about next steps.

The politician did not rule out rejoining the Reform Party or joining Parempoolsed. "Why not? One always has ideas, while it does not mean it should happen in the near future. But I am partial to the Parempoolsed's ideology. They are more or less what Gräzin was in 1994," he said.

Gräzin on Thursday decided to back a motion of no confidence against Center Party leader, Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart by 37 council delegates.

The politician joined the Center Party in March of 2022 after having been a member of the Reform Party since 1994.

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