Svet, appointed infrastructure minister, a newly created post, on Sunday, and a former Tallinn deputy mayor, gave a short interview to "Aktuaalne kaamera," which follows.

It's quite convenient being able to change parties and secure a ministerial position all on the same day. How long have you been planning a maneuver like this?

If you're asking me how long it took me to decide whether to accept a specific proposal from the SDE leader, well that took several days.

However, it would have been odd for an SDE government minister to not be a member of SDE.

Will the whole of Estonia be dug up in the same way as Tallinn was last year?

First of all, Estonia will not be "dug up," I can promise you that.

Second, the coalition in Tallinn has changed, yet the streets are still closed. I think that is actually a good sign that things are happening in Tallinn. It would have been worse if all the projects we previously planned in Tallinn had been canceled.

Really if we speak seriously about the matter, we have to acknowledge that there is not much money to maintain our road maintenance plan. Bearing in mind that all ministries are facing cuts, it will be a significant challenge to prevent these funds from diminishing even further.

My one big worry related with this is traffic safety. We know that people are constantly dying on Estonian roads, we know that, about once a week, someone dies on Estonia's roads, but if we want to reduce this mortality rate, we have to do something about our roads: And we cannot do that without funding.

The funds allocated towards state roads are the lowest for the last decade, at €153 million. Will you be finding additional funds, or will you be able to find the optimal solutions with this amount?

You are asking this from someone who was just confirmed as a ministerial candidate today. Ultimately, we will discuss the budget during the budget discussions, which, to my knowledge, will take place in the second half of the summer.

However, the fact is that the state's finances need to be managed, and there is no immediate possibility to take and increase funds from somewhere. My task will primarily be to clarify what can be invested in roads, identify the most critical areas, and prioritize the goals of ensuring that people do not die on Estonia's roads.

Where is the funding for continuing the Rail Baltica construction coming from?

Recently, the news emerged that the EU has allocated additional funds for Rail Baltica. However, the main issue isn't about the source of funding. The main concern is whether Estonian residents are confident that the money allocated to Rail Baltica is being spent prudently, wisely, and effectively.

This summer, the National Audit Office (Riigikontroll) raised several questions on Rail Baltica that need to be addressed and discussed openly, and not behind closed ministry doors.

The answers should be made public so that the Estonian people can understand the current state with Rail Baltica, its future prospects, and the actual costs involved.

There's no sense in burying our heads in the sand and hoping the issues will pass, simply because the project is vast. Transparency is critical, and we need to clarify what is happening.

However I am confident that, with the help of competent state and Rail Baltica officials, we can achieve this.

At the same time, we must keep in mind that Rail Baltica is a colossal investment, unparalleled in Estonia's recent plans, while it will create thousands of jobs. This means we must always remember that this money isn't just evaporating; it's entering our economy, ultimately helping to invigorate it.

Vladimir Svet was formerly a Center Party member and announced he was joining SDE on Sunday, the same day he was appointed ministerial candidate.

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