ERR asked Kõlvart whether he would currently be willing to form a coalition with the Reform Party in Tallinn and, for example, take the position of city council chair.

"We certainly have no goal of taking any position four months before the election," Kõlvart replied.

"The question is rather whether the current coalition is still capable of carrying out its responsibilities and maintaining at least some stability until the election, or not. And if they aren't, then we'll have a rather interesting situation, because the Center Party has no interest in taking responsibility for what's currently going on within the coalition. But on the other hand, of course, the city has to function regardless of the election cycle, even if there are only a few months left," Kõlvart said.

"It's clear the Center Party has no interest in getting involved in intrigue or forming some kind of [new] coalition. But if the current coalition collapses, then it's quite likely that the Center Party would have an obligation to take responsibility. But we don't have the votes to do that alone. That would mean either some broader agreement between factions or the need to find partners," he added.

Kõlvart said that although city council members are in regular contact with one another, no one has spoken to him about forming a potential new coalition.

According to Kõlvart, it's also entirely possible that the current tense situation in the coalition could still end in an agreement between the partners.

ERR also asked Kõlvart about the possibility of the Reform Party being pushed out of the coalition and replaced by the Center Party.

"I don't think we're interested in any specific coalition format. What could theoretically happen is some kind of agreement — either between all factions or some of them — to actually get something done within the next four months or at least maintain some level of stability. Maybe that would be a workable solution. But whether it's realistic is hard to predict," Kõlvart said.

"I think it's entirely possible that, in the end, the coalition partners will come to an agreement among themselves, because it's in their interest, and the current setup will continue through the election," he added.

After elections, Kõlvart would chase coalition born of pragmatism, not ideology

Speaking about the criteria the Center Party would use to choose potential coalition partners, Kõlvart said those decisions should be based on pragmatic considerations.

"We have to admit that choosing partners based on ideology is impossible. Regardless of ideology, parties offer very different things that often don't align with their stated principles. So, most likely, it should be a pragmatic agreement — based on the program points that can realistically be implemented," Kõlvart said.

Kõlvart reflected on which parties he might see as potential cooperation partners.

"Ideologically, cooperation with the Social Democrats might be a fit for us at the local level, but past experience wasn't the most positive. Today, in terms of local priorities, we might have quite substantive cooperation with EKRE, but the question is whether the political math allows for it and whether it's realistically possible to reach an agreement," he said.

Kõlvart also noted that the Reform Party's strong push to eliminate kindergarten fees creates a basis for potential cooperation with them.

"Right now, there's an interesting situation where the Center Party came out with a proposal at the end of last year to abolish kindergarten fees, and now the Reform Party has come out with the same proposal alongside us. At least one major promise made by both parties creates an opportunity for cooperation. By the time of the elections, the picture might be clearer as to who we could realistically work with in the long term," Kõlvart said.

"The landscape is very fragmented, and if there's a will, it's possible to find shared priorities with any party — but also reasons why cooperation may not work," he added.

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