Reform Party secretary does not see Ansip dropping out as major loss
Commenting on MEP Andrus Ansip's decision not to run for the European Parliament again, Timo Suslov, secretary general and head of the EP elections working group of the Reform Party, said he considers it neither a win nor a loss for the ruling party.
ERR asked Suslov whether Ansip dropping from the race constitutes a loss for Reform's list of candidates.
"I wouldn't say it's a loss, nor would I call it win. The elections are still ahead of us, and we will make changes to end up with a strong list," Suslov replied.
"Having the long-time premier would surely have landed us votes, while I would not get ahead of things. There are other people. And we will count our chickens once the elections are done. We have others who wish to run. I believe there will not be a vacancy on the list," Suslov said.
The party's secretary general described Ansip's Sunday announcement that he will not be running for the European Parliament as surprising. The former PM said he wants to spend more time at home and with his grandchildren adding: "Why should I make a dash for the Parliament if the head of my party suggests, in no uncertain terms, that I should not run and casts doubt on the work I have been doing with dedication all those years?"
Prime Minister and current Reform head Kaja Kallas wrote in a letter to fellow party members in February that she is asking Ansip not to run in the European Parliament elections. The PM has been a vocal critical of Ansip, recently suggesting that Ansip is not getting work done in the European Parliament, while Ansip has also repeatedly criticized Kallas in her role as prime minister.
The Reform Party is set to finalize its list of candidates by its April 7 general assembly.
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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Marcus Turovski
