State secretary: Kallas not obligated to resign if designated EC candidate
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Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) is not obliged by law to step down if she is a candidate for a high-level position at the European Commission, State Secretary Taimar Peterkop said on Monday. However, she must step down when appointed to the role, which could be in the autumn.
Kallas' name has been connected with the EU's foreign policy chief post for months. Discussions will be made in the coming weeks now the EU election has take place, including at a meeting today in Brussels. She would be the first Estonian to hold such a high role in the EU.
Peterkop discussed on the "Uudis+" radio show when the prime minister would have to resign if offered a position in Brussels.
The official explained that, unlike the nomination of a commissioner-designate, the nomination for the post of high representative of the European Union is not regulated nationally in Estonia.
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In comparison, Peterkop explained that, in the case of an EU commissioner, the national process of how a candidate gets to Europe is well regulated.
"First of all, the government has to approve it, that is, formally approve it at a government session, then the parliament has to hear it – the Riigikogu does not have to approve it, but everyone can ask questions, it has to hear it – and only then is it possible to submit a candidate to the president of the European Commission, and they then starts to see what they will do with this candidate, what position he will appoint," he said.
However, the process is different for a high representative. In the case of the high representative, the Council of Europe decides, not the president of the European Commission.
If Estonia is awarded one of the four top jobs, then it will not have a commissioner at the same time.
Asked when Kallas would need to resign if she took up the tole, Peterkop said the law does not impose an obligation on the prime minister to resign during the candidate period. The obligation arises only when appointed to the position. He suggested that the appointment would likely take place in the fall.
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Peterkop said Kallas will also be able to participate at the June 27-28 European Council as prime minister.
"After all, the president of the Council, Charles Michel, was the Belgian prime minister before, he went from being the Belgian prime minister. In other countries, this is a relatively common practice, which is because these seats often go to the top and the top sit around the table," said Peterkop.
He said lawyers do not have a bearing on when Kallas should resign from the position of prime minister before taking up her new position, it is connected to political culture.
POLITICO Europe has reported that, the preferred names to sit at the EU's top table are Germany's Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission president, Portugal's António Costa as European Council president, Malta's Roberta Metsola as the European Parliament boss, and Kallas as foreign policy chief.
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Editor: Valner Väino, Helen Wright
Source: "Uudis+", interview by Mirko Ojakivi