In Tallinn, by far the largest municipality and which this year saw a significant change in government, pre-campaigning activities are set to start around Christmas and New Year, with the most active period expected in the late summer, as the race for the mayoral seat heats up.

The mayoral candidates are not yet clear, though it is likely current incumbent Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) will seek re-election.

His predecessor as mayor and Center Party chair, Mihhail Kõlvart, is also considered a strong contender for a return.

Kõlvart has indicated that the party's election list will feature experienced figures, including former deputy mayors, district elders, and members of the Riigikogu.He said: "Those who have shown good results in Tallinn and certainly have significant support include Lauri Laats, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, and Vadim Belobrovtsev."

"We have people with experience in city governance," Kõlvart noted – not without reason; the Center Party had been in office in Tallinn for nearly 20 years straight up until spring this year. The bulk of that time it ruled alone, and all the other main parties were in opposition.

A rainbow coalition of SDE, the Reform Party, Isamaa, and Eesti 200 took its place in the spring after a vote of no confidence in Kõlvart held at Tallinn city council passed, leaving Center, along with EKRE, in opposition in the capital.

Center also plans to launch its active campaign in January 2025.

Isamaa, meanwhile, has yet to decide on its candidate for Tallinn's mayor.

Former government minister Riina Solman, head of the party's Tallinn branch, stated: "It will certainly be a very strong candidate, but we haven't made our decision yet. Indeed, there are some prominent individuals, but anyway it will be a strong candidate."

Solman also confirmed Isamaa MPs will be running in the local elections. MPs are permitted to sit on local councils, and about half of them do, though they cannot sit on city governments.

Isamaa's pre-campaigning will kick off during the holiday season.

The Reform Party has not named its mayoral candidate either.

Party chair and Prime Minister Kristen Michal previously suggested that Pärtel-Peeter Pere, one of the current deputy mayors and the head of the party's branch in Tallinn, stands a good chance of being their nominee.

Pere himself said that work is ongoing on both the election program and the candidate list.

"Let's see how our lists shape up. Time will tell who from the Riigikogu or from the government wants to run. What is key is that we have motivated individuals who truly care and want to get involved," he went on.

The Reform Party plans to get its active campaigning off to a start in the spring.

Eesti 200 is also holding off on announcing its mayoral candidate.

Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin said that the party is focusing on its campaign groundwork and analyzing the recognition of its politicians.

"It can be stated that the situation regarding names is quite healthy, and they are people the public would consider voting for."

"But for now we need to bring the party's campaign up to speed," he noted. Eesti 200 aims to start its active campaign as late as the summer.

With several parties still finalizing their strategies, Tallinn's mayoral race promises to intensify in the coming months, and the same applies nationwide.

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