PM: Government could theoretically continue as 2-party coalition with Eesti 200

According to Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform), while in government, the Social Democratic Party (SDE) have engaged in slowing down processes and incomprehensible initiatives. The PM added that Reform would theoretically be prepared to continue governing as a two-party coalition with Eesti 200 if the SDE are not prepared ready to change their approach.
Michal said he plans to start discussing the concerns regarding cooperation with the SDE on Monday. "We will certainly try to discuss whether we can resolve this and move forward together. If not, it is theoretically possible that just the two parties will go ahead," Michal said.
According to Michal, a Reform-Eesti 200 government would be a right-wing government. "Which would enable us to do quite a lot of the things we want to do," Michal said.
He also did not rule out cooperation with Isamaa. "They may have to get over this obsession with ratings and decide what is more important to them – to participate in the governance of the Estonian state, which I think is more important to people in difficult times, or to actually think about the outcome of the local elections," Michal said.
"If is the latter that is more important, well, then maybe we will see more of these rhetorical rants here," Michal said.
Regarding the SDE, Michal said that the views held are just very different. "Maybe nerves and perceptions are also very different from the mood of this era. After all, our wish in this government is to make things easier," the prime minister said.
"At one time, I was the initiator of the zero bureaucracy project, and today, actually, reading the news, I repeatedly have to justify to myself why we are again creating new rules, for which I am not quite sure whether they need to be created exactly as they are," Michal said.
Michal also reproached the SDE for talking about new taxes. "The same moment will come again when someone sends out a circular saying please come up with ideas for new taxes," Michal said.
The prime minister also accused the socialists of facilitating the introduction of cheaper foreign labor and of blocking the simplification of rules on nature conservation. "The spirit of the times is not to talk at length, not to make decisions," Michal noted.
Michal said, however, that he plans to negotiate with the SDE and has no personal issues with anyone from the party.
The Reform Party won 37 seats in the last Riigikogu elections, but they can also count on Maria Jufereva-Skurativski, who moved from the Center Party to Reform, and Alar Laneman, who joined from EKRE. This means that in effect, they have 39 Riigikogu MPs.
Eesti 200 won 14 seats in the last elections, but after the expulsion of Züleyxa Izmailova, their number of representatives in the Riigikogu fell to 13. In total, the Reform Party and Eesti 200 can therefore count on 52 votes, giving them a narrow majority in the 101-member parliament.
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Editor: Huko Aaspõllu, Michael Cole