SDE exit from government means Eduard Odinets has to vacate Riigikogu seat
The exit of the Social Democrats (SDE) from government has not only meant four ministers leaving their posts, but has also meant prominent SDE MP Eduard Odinets will have to vacate his Riigikogu seat, Põhjarannik reported.
Government ministers do not sit at the Riigikogu, but if they had won a seat at the last Riigikogu elections, they must return to parliament when leaving government, and the placeholder MP who took their seat when they were appointed a minister must make way for them.
This is what has happened with Odinets, who must vacate his seat for partymate Riina Sikkut, who is no longer health minister.
Odinets failed to gain an SDE seat via the electoral district route at the 2023 elections, but entered parliament through SDE's national list once Sikkut was made a minister.
Odinets, who is also chair of Kohtla-Järve city council, was one of four MPs at the 101-seat Riigikogu who were from Ida-Viru County, third-most populous county in Estonia, the others being Meelis Kiili (Reform), Aleksei Jevgrafov (Center), and Arvo Aller (EKRE).
The three other SDE ministers who have now left office are: Piret Hartman (Regional affairs), Vladimir Svet (Infrastructure) and party chair Lauri Läänemets (Interior).
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Põhjarannik
