"I took the time to discuss this with my team, party colleagues and family, and I decided to run for the chair of Eesti 200," Terras told ERR.

"My team and I believe the party needs a clear direction, a new breath of life and a fresh face because what has brought us here will no longer carry us forward. We need to approach things more structurally, work harder and learn how to collaborate better. It's also crucial for us to build our organization outside of Tallinn and Tartu before the local elections. We need to focus on all regions to ensure a representative candidate list and involve all our branches in the party's activities," Terras said.

Eesti 200's rating dropped from 6 percent to 3 percent over the summer. According to Terras, the decline was partly due to the party not electing a new leader in June, as he had suggested.

"We've lost time over these two months. The rating has consistently fallen. The key now is to collaborate, assemble the team and get to work," Terras emphasized.

Terras highlighted that under his leadership, the coalition agreement between the Reform Party, the Social Democratic Party and Eesti 200 would continue to be implemented.

Terras said he feels confident running against Kristina Kallas. "Strong competition is a cornerstone of a vibrant party, and Kristina is certainly a strong competitor. In the end, the one with the better program will win," he commented.

ERR also asked if Terras would make changes to the government delegation if he were elected chairman of Eesti 200. "In my opinion, the government delegation has done very well, and now Liisa Pakosta, who is a very capable politician, has joined. At this point, I don't see any need for rapid or critical changes," Terras stated.

Terras does not consider it essential to hold a ministerial position as party leader.

"At this moment, we need to focus on what is necessary for the party. I believe that the most important thing for the party is to grow our organization, attract new members and establish ourselves across Estonia. My priority as chair would be to ensure the party gains a firm foothold in Estonian politics," Terras said.

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