On the ETV program "Otse uudistemajast," the Reform Party's deputy Riigikogu whip and former Minister of Education Liina Kersna discussed the new government's prospects of surviving until the next Riigikogu elections.

Host Aleksander Krjukov asked how strong the current governing coalition is, given its slim majority of just 52 seats in the Riigikogu.

"We actually have experience in Estonia with minority governments," Kersna replied. "I remember when I worked in Stenbock House alongside Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, there was a minority government during the economic downturn and they managed to make very difficult decisions. I think Prime Minister Kristen Michal's decision to continue with a two-party government is certainly a very high-risk move."

Kersna emphasized that one positive aspect of the situation is that the government and the coalition will now need to explain their decisions more thoroughly. "They'll have to provide deeper explanations to both the public and the opposition. More cooperation is needed, more effort to convince people why a particular decision matters. Compromises must be made in order to secure the necessary votes."

"This kind of approach is definitely healthier for democracy than when there is a strong majority in the Riigikogu and decisions are justified with statements like, 'Well, I don't like tax hikes either — no one does.' That's exactly how you end up with the kind of alienation from government we've been seeing lately. And when people feel alienated from their government, that's a warning sign for democracy. In such conditions, it becomes nearly impossible to carry out meaningful reforms. To implement reforms, you need a critical mass, you need public support behind you."

Kersna acknowledged that removing the Social Democrats from the government was a very risky move.

"That decision was primarily made by our party leader, Kristen Michal," she said. "As the Estonian proverb goes — 'Courage elevates, courage destroys.' We'll see how we manage. In any case, the Reform Party and its parliamentary group stand behind the prime minister and are committed to making this work."

According to Kersna, the decision to oust the Social Democrats was driven by a lack of progress in decision-making.

The host pointed out that the Reform Party's own approval rating was also low.

"Not just ours — the entire government's rating was low. If we had continued like that, there was little chance anything would have changed. If you want change, you have to change — that's one of the basic principles of change management," Kersna said.

The host then asked how Kersna viewed the likelihood of Eesti 200, a current coalition partner, stepping into an internal opposition role or even leaving the government in an attempt to boost its popularity.

"If the current government doesn't adopt a collaborative mindset — not just among themselves, but also in working with the opposition — then the risk they're taking might not pay off," said Kersna.

She noted that continuing with just two coalition partners is risky. "But to mitigate that risk, actual cooperation is needed and real efforts to find allies. If the government decides to just bulldoze its policies through with 52 votes, without seeking allies, I don't think it will work. There's an expectation of greater cooperation."

The host also asked whether there's a chance the Reform Party could end up governing alone before the next Riigikogu elections.

"We've had five different governments in the last four years," Kersna replied. "And in a way, that's to be expected. When the environment is unstable, that instability is reflected in government and in politics as well. It brings a lot of volatility. Elections — whether national or local — always have an impact on high-level politics. What kind of impact they'll have this time, we'll have to wait and see."

Kersna to run in Tartu in local elections?

Kersna said during the program that she has agreed to run in the upcoming local government elections in Tartu.

"I think I will indeed be a candidate," Kersna replied when asked whether she would participate in the local elections. "Over the past two years, I've been splitting my time between Tallinn and Tartu — spending half the week in Tartu, where I've been officially registered for more than a year now, and the other half mostly in Tallinn — so I was invited to run in Tartu."

"For me, it's a great compliment, because Tartu is a city of education. General education is very well organized there and the city is home to many school leaders and teachers who are recognized nationally and are leading figures in the field. In addition, Tartu is also a university and research city. So I was invited to run and have given my consent to be a candidate in Tartu," she said.

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