On Saturday, the Reform Party and Eesti 200 introduced their new ministerial candidates. The chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Lauri Läänemets, stated that he would have liked to see experts alongside politicians in the government.

"Experts in economics and finance could have added credibility to the government in these areas and provided a different perspective when alternative solutions are needed. That opportunity was not taken," Läänemets said.

Läänemets advised Igor Taro, the candidate for minister of the interior, to focus on the security situation.

"My last proposal to the government before the previous administration ended was to increase the number of Internal Security Service (ISS) officers and acquire certain technological tools, as this is all related to hybrid attacks and Russia's actions. We urgently need these resources," Läänemets said.

The chairman of the Center Party, Mihhail Kõlvart, said that the reshuffling of the government and the continuation of the two governing parties would not bring significant changes. The new ministers will not be granted a 100-day grace period to settle into their roles without criticism, he added.

"I have a rhetorical question: if, in the future, the Reform Party decides to replace government members every three months, should we wait each time to see when substantive policy will emerge? This government was given two years and nothing has fundamentally changed," Kõlvart remarked.

Political scientist Tõnis Saarts stated that Reform and Eesti 200 should not expect major gains in the local elections due to the government reshuffle. However, he noted that the two parties' positions might improve slightly. The local elections are now a little over six months away.

"What matters more is the strength of the parties' candidate lists at the local level, the quality of the candidates they put forward and their municipal political capabilities. Therefore, to assume that this government reshuffle will significantly impact the local election results is unrealistic — perhaps only slightly, but not in a major way," Saarts said.

According to Saarts, neither party should expect a rapid or substantial increase in popularity.

"The Reform Party is at a historical low and I believe climbing out of it will take quite some time. This government reshuffle might be a small milestone along the way, but it is certainly not a breakthrough," Saarts said.

--

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