SDE Chairman Lauri Läänemets justified his choice by saying Hartman has already proven herself as a minister and has experience in the sector.

"Piret's multiple university degrees in agriculture and her extensive knowledge and experience in public management and politics will certainly help her in her future job," he said on Tuesday evening.

Hartman said she intends to complete the so-called Robin Hood funding redistribution plan initiated by Kallas.

"As a candidate for regional minister, I have a great respect for this office. However, I have always been motivated by injustice and the fight against it. There is regional inequality in Estonia, but good jobs, a thriving economy and good transport links will help reduce it. I am committed to completing the Robin Hood scheme initiated by Madis Kallas and I also believe it is important to make strong progress on public transport reform," Hartman said.

"Highlighting agricultural policy and keeping it in the spotlight is also important for me – the most important thing here is to prepare for the new financial period, so that Estonian farmers have fair conditions compared to those in other EU member states," she added.

Läänemets will now need to present his candidate to Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform), who will then present Hartman to President Alar Karis. She will then need to take the oath of office.

Hartman is currently the head of the Strategy Department at the Ministry of Finance. In the previous government (2021–2023), Hartman was minister of culture and, before that, undersecretary at the Ministry of Culture.

She graduated from the Estonian University of Life Sciences in 2003 with a degree in agricultural economics and entrepreneurship and a master's degree in economics and entrepreneurship in 2006. In 2022, Hartman graduated from Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) with a degree in digital transformation in business.

Madis Kallas took office a year ago but resigned on his own initiative saying little progress had been made with his policies. He said last month he would leave in mid-April if no progress was made. He will return to the Riigikogu after his term ends at midnight tonight.

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