On Wednesday, Social Democrat Raik began negotiations in Narva to regain power in the city. She is speaking to both the Center Party and controversial local independent politician Mihhail Stalnuhhin to try and form a coalition.

Läänemets said he is aware of a possible change of power taking place in the eastern border city, but SDE does not decide on local coalitions centrally.

"The most reasonable outcome would be if Katri Raik's electoral alliance could form a ruling coalition on its own in Narva. This would yield the best results. The Social Democrats certainly do not share the views of Mihhail Stalnuhhin. However, the concern is that the Center Party also has members with similar views, meaning that when forming a coalition in Narva, the options for coalition partners are essentially the same," Läänemets said.

The chairman – who is also minister of interior – said Center's Aleksei Jevgrafov's views do not align with his party.

"In the Narva City Council, there are similarly members from the Center Party whose views on Estonian society, security issues, Russia, the war in Ukraine, etc., do not align with those of the Social Democrats. If the choices in Narva are essentially between 'bad and bad,' then the only good option is having a mayor who is pro-Estonian. This way, regardless of who is in the coalition or opposition, and irrespective of the stance of certain individuals, it would be impossible to take actions that contradict the direction we are striving for as a state and society," Läänemets said.

The minister also stressed security.

"When it comes to Narva, we need to consider — just as security agencies have pointed out in the past — who serves as a partner for the state. Katri Raik certainly fulfills this role as mayor. This means that when we need to communicate with Narva's city government on security matters, we have someone who answers the phone, engages constructively, and puts in the effort," he said.

Läänemets highlighted that Raik was overthrown as mayor as she backed the transition to Estonian-language education in Narva.

"Coincidentally, two non-Estonian-speaking school principals were also council members who decided to switch sides. This was the reason why the coalition at that time lost its majority. I believe that Katri and the Social Democrats in general have demonstrated through their actions that they stand for Estonia," he said.

When asked which coalition partner he would prefer, Läänemets said: "The local people must decide, but both are very bad."

The next Narva City Council session will be held on November 21.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!