Three opposition parties (Isamaa, the Center Party and EKRE) announced on Friday that Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi's (Reform) remarks during Wednesday's state budget debate in the Riigikogu were unacceptable, and that the minister must either resign voluntarily or face a motion of no confidence.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he is confident that the motion will not receive enough support in the Riigikogu.

"The no-confidence vote will, of course, fail, and the finance minister's work to fix the budget, which started getting out of hand with decisions made in 2017, will continue. This task is neither easy nor enviable, as three years of cuts are needed to restore balance, and defense investment funding must be secured to ensure the state's continuity. This plan also includes a tax stability policy until 2027 and measures to support economic growth. The failure of the no-confidence vote initiated by EKRE will reinforce confidence in this plan," Michal said.

Michal noted that the state budget bill, which has faced heavy criticism this year, needs to be understandable.

"The budget must be clear, and it is up to the finance minister and the [Riigikogu] finance committee to ensure that it is. The activity-based budgeting system must be accompanied by an expense-based accounting system in the 2025 explanatory memorandum. Afterward, we will decide if and for whom this activity-based presentation is still necessary. People need to understand the budget, where our money is being spent and whether that distribution is fair or if changes are needed," the prime minister said.

Michal also stated that the opposition's criticism of the state budget is not justified.

"The opposition, led by EKRE, is pretending as if they've made some groundbreaking discovery. Excuse me. I was the one who demanded that the budget be made understandable when forming the coalition, and I continue to push for this as prime minister. The chancellor of justice has also emphasized the same. The coalition has agreed on this together, and that's how it will proceed because we want the use of public funds to be clearer for those who want to make sense of it," he said.

Ligi, during Wednesday's first reading of the state budget bill in the Riigikogu, criticized the level of debate in the parliament, stating that, based on the discussion, the parliament should not be given a larger role in the budget process.

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