Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said that EISA needs changes and its spending reining in.

"I'm sure there is plenty of room there for optimization and doing things better. We put the two organizations together. It [EISA] has a new director now, they've had time to look into these things, and I'm sure they'll propose a set of ideas. But it is also clear that foundations, which have until recently been out of harms way, will be ordered to economize," the prime minister said.

Tiit Riisalo (Eesti 200), Estonia's minister of economic affairs, wrote in ERR (link in Estonian) Wednesday that EISA needs a capital overhaul and that recent cosmetic changes do not go far enough. Riisalo, currently on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, was not available for comment Friday.

Minister of Finance Mart Võrklaev (Reform) also said that while foundations have largely escaped cuts so far, they'll need to revisit their spending now.

Võrklaev said that while there have been several rounds of ministries and agencies revising their spending, foundations have largely been spared. "I believe that during difficult times for the state, we need to look at every organization. I'm convinced that we also need a round of austerity in foundations, which we haven't had before," the minister said.

EISA has refused to comment before meeting with the ministry, likely next week. Sandra Särav, chair of EISA's supervisory board and undersecretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said in a written reply that "the EISA supervisory board on April 19 ordered an audit of all services and their necessity."

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