On Thursday, "Aktuaalne kaamera" spoke to members of the coalition after the second day of discussions.

Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi (Reform) said defense spending will stay at a minimum of 3 percent in the coming years, although the state plans to allocate additional funding. But the exact amount is not yet known.

Ligi refused to give more details.

"We do not have a budget. Once again, we are making a budget now, this is the concrete answer for now, I will not be vague," he told AK.

When it comes to ammunition, outside factors will influence Estonia's decisions.

"The summary on the issue of ammunition remains that it's not just a financial problem but also one of long wait times and outbidding. So we cannot predict the availability or price of ammunition until we have reached some clarity on how much the state can contribute and when," the minister said.

Former chief of the Estonian Defense Forces Martin Herem has said Estonia needs to acquire €1.6 billion of ammunition as soon as possible. Supply chain issues means this will take at least three to four years, he said.

Tsahkna: the public sector has grown

The government focused on real estate and public sector issues on the second day of budget discussions.

Eesti 200 chairman and foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said the public sector must pull itself together.

"We are going to ask for additional funds from the public, from entrepreneurs. And I have repeatedly said that the public sector has been expanding excessively in recent years. So, in any case, the public sector will be downsized during the budget cuts," he said.

"Ministries' operations of will be scaled back, especially concerning personnel, salaries, positions, and operational activities. State foundations and enterprises will definitely be downsized as well. And we must certainly reassess how the state manages its real estate," the minister added.

The government is not planning to introduce more taxes.

SDE wants to discuss salaries

Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Piret Hartman (SDE) said wages continue to be an important topic for the party.

"What will happen to the salaries of cultural workers, educators, and rescue workers? These are the questions we are facing. Naturally, the situation is extremely critical," she said.

Next week, the government will discuss IT, among other things. Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta (Eesti 200) will demand more money instead of cuts.

"In Estonia, almost 98 percent of services are online and we have plans to personalize them. And if we want to protect our cyber state in this state of security, we have to invest in it," Tsahkna said.

The government plans to present the budget strategy to the Riigikogu by September 25.

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