In January, the three coalition parties (Reform, SDE and Eesti 200) agreed to create a €2.6 billion subsidy program to support the development of offshore wind power.

After weeks of discussion and refusals to release the calculations for the costly project, the government pulled the plug on the scheme in late February.

While the sitting minister Yoko Alender (Reform) did not resign at the time, she was later reshuffled out of the role when the coalition reformed without SDE.

On Wednesday, ERR reported that two officials connected to the scheme had either lost their jobs or been demoted.

Nikon Vidjajev, advisor on offshore wind energy at the Ministry of Climate Change, has been laid off.

The official is still on the ministry's payroll, but he received the redundancy notice in March. He told ERR he is on study leave but did not want to discuss the issue further.

Karlis Goldstein, head of the renewable energy sector at the Ministry of Climate Change, who led the offshore wind farm support scheme, will be demoted.

Goldstein himself said he would like to continue working on the ministry's renewable energy development, but has not yet been offered a specific position. "I hope the situation does not change too much for me, but time will tell," he said.

Asked if the ministry is punishing the pair, Goldstein replied that he did not feel that way.

"No one has said that a scapegoat is being sought. Or that this decision is in any direct way connected to input from officials. After all, the decision was made by the Government of the Republic," he told ERR.

Goldstein and Vidjaev's boss at the ministry, head of the energy department, Rein Vaks, said his department is being restructured. He denied the plan's failure or speaking to the media were reasons for the changes.

Vaks also denied they were punished, adding that if this were the case, their contracts would have been terminated in February.

"Karlis and Nikon have done good work. I've also explained that to them directly, one-on-one. I've met with them, discussed these topics several times, and explained what the future outlook is from my perspective and from the department's overall point of view," Vaks said.

The changes are limited to Vidyajev and Goldstein, he said, pointing out that other positions had been terminated last year due to budget cuts. Vaks does not see the need for further layoffs.

Vaks said the decision to dismiss Vidyaev and demote Goldstein was made by him.

"These decisions have been my decisions in accordance with my job description. I have to make these decisions to ensure that the department functions effectively," the official said.

However, Vak's decisions have now been taken up by politicians. Opposition party Isamaa's Chairman Urmas Reinsalu said this had been one of the new Minister of Energy Andres Sutt's (Reform) first tasks in office.

Sutt denied the claim, saying it was "100 percent wrong." "The personnel decisions that are made are made by the immediate manager," he added.

Former Minister of Climate Yoko Alender (Reform), who was in office when the policy collapsed, also said that the minister does not deal with personnel policy.

When asked whether she was forced to resign from her ministerial position due to the failure of the policy, Alender would not say: "You have to ask the prime minister."

Vaks added that the Ministry of Climate Change has not given up on developing offshore wind farms.

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