The government is struggling to reach a consensus on a planned supplementary budget of €175 million, the figure in this case referring to cuts, ahead of its planned finalization by Thursday this week.

The timing relates to the long summer Riigikogu recess – the supplementary budget once ready must pass three votes at the legislature before it can enter into effect.

One of the main sticking points is whether and to what extent the interior ministry's costs and expenses constitute security and safety budgetary items.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets (SDE) sees these as integral national security costs.

Läänemets said: "It makes sense that if we examine security and agree not to make cuts, then both the then both the defense ministry and the interior ministry alike are responsible for security."

"Without this approach, the state budget will not materialize," he went on.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) took a slightly different view. While he did not include his own ministry in the same category, he said a fairer approach would be across-the-board cuts, exempting only the Ministry of Defense.

According to Tsahkna, the government is moving further away from, and not nearer to, finalizing the budget, so he does not expect a decision by Thursday this week, he said.

"One thing after another is being excluded: We can't do this, we can't do that, we can't do a third thing and a fourth thing," Tsahkna said.

The minister added that his party, having as it does the foreign, education and IT and foreign trade ministers, was shouldering the burden of the cuts.

"As of today, it seems to me that Eesti 200 is contributing to more than half of the remaining cuts, via education, innovation, science, and economic revitalization measures."

"This is not an equitable contribution," Tsahkna added.

Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev (Reform) also noted that state budget revenues have not grown as expected, meaning every ministry should find ways to make savings.

Võrklaev added that in real terms, the interior ministry would not really be subject to cuts, since this year it has received an additional €23 million as a priority area.

However, there is a request for solidarity in saving on operational and personnel costs, as state budget revenues have not grown as we forecast, while we have incurred additional expenses. This is indeed a point of contention," Võrklaev went on.

Coalition partners at agree that defense spending should not be reduced in this budget, a stance also held by President Alar Karis.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, the head of state said: "I urged the government to ensure that, when discussing budget cuts, security and safety needs are minimally affected, and that the budget remains transparent and comprehensible to the public."

The cabinet is due to unveil the details of the supplementary budget and its cuts, at Thursday's regular press conference.

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