The issue of scrapping kindergarten fees in Tallinn is one of the major sticking points in a rift which has developed between the Reform Party on the one side, and its coalition partners: SDE, Eesti 200 and Isamaa, on the other. This division in the coalition has led to some sharp exchanges. Speaking at a city government press conference Monday, the mayor noted that trust between coalition partners has been damaged.

"My desire, that of Isamaa, Eesti 200, and also, as confirmed, the Reform Party, has been to restore that trust, to find solutions to problems so that it is possible to move forward together," he said. Despite this, Ossinovski emphasized that the coalition partners will continue to search for a solution, adding this need not involve the opposition Center Party.

"As long as there is an understanding that all four partners want to cooperate and do not want the Center Party to return to city government, it is possible to reach agreement on all specific issues — be it the kindergarten fee issue or other topics important to other partners. If that foundation is in place, then this coalition will definitely not fall apart over individual issues."

Fears of collapse of Tallinn coalition

Since Center announced on the same day as Reform that it, too, wants to abolish kindergarten fees in Tallinn, this has prompted fears of collapse of the current coalition and the emergence of a Reform-Center one, ahead of this October's local elections.

Meanwhile, Pere noted at the press conference that his party has wanted to abolish kindergarten fees in Tallinn since 2017.

"We are closer than ever before. It's very unfortunate that this matter has become so public, sharp, and adventurous in the media. That has never been our intention. We still have over 48 hours, we will reach an agreement, I believe in that. Yesterday, the finance committee in the Tallinn City Council voted in favor of this item, and the Reform Party also voted for the supplementary budget. I am confident that we will reach an agreement with colleagues on this issue. We do not want to postpone the making of the supplementary budget to summer or autumn. We do not want it to be canceled. There are other necessary things in Tallinn's supplementary budget. These things must not be canceled, they must not be postponed. We want to reach an agreement, and I believe we will," Pere said.

However, Pere said while he agrees with the mayor, any decision on kindergarten fees should be made first and only then should the search for funding sources begin, adding that his party no longer wants to hang around on this. "Our position is that we need to make this decision, and then the train will start moving. On Thursday we will adopt this funding decision, the city council's draft decision will be our directive, and on Friday we will come to work and begin shaping this instrument," Pere said.

Mayor: Timing not issue on kindergarten fees, just should be done 'correctly'

Ossinovski's response was that he "Didn't say it should be done later, the question is that the partners' wish is for the fee to change starting from September 1. /.../ The question isn't when to change it — in that respect I think reaching agreement will be relatively easy. Rather, it's that things should be done correctly, with mutual respect, in accordance with agreements, and truly in a way that the necessary groundwork is done."

Ossinovski added that: "By this Thursday at the latest, when the city council session starts, we will hopefully have this agreement signed, and the coalition can move forward with the topics and substantive discussions that the city government still has ahead."

Also speaking at the press conference was Isamaa's deputy mayor, Kristjan Järvan, who said that the Center Party could endanger what he called the Estonian-mindedness of the Tallinn city government. "Isamaa's position is that the Estonian-speaking and Estonian-minded coalition we have is necessary for Tallinn, and indeed necessary for democracy as well. We sincerely hope and are making efforts from our side that this Estonian-minded coalition will continue," Järvan said.

Eesti 200 deputy mayor: 'Return of corruption worst thing'

Eesti 200's deputy mayor, Aleksei Jašin, also pointed to what he called the Center Party's corruption. "The return of corruption is the worst thing that can happen to Tallinn. And we read in the paper every day that a new issue has surfaced again, somewhere old matters have resurfaced from the time of the Center Party. Clearly Eesti 200 does not want that," Jašin said.

Pere confirmed that neither he nor the Reform Party wants to bring the Centre Party back to power in Tallinn. "It is not in my party's narrow, partisan interest in any way to help Mihhail Kõlvart back into the mayor's chair, nor in any other format as has been speculated in the media, that maybe someone else becomes council chair and someone else the mayor. No. I sign on to what my colleagues said. Corruption is bad, period. We have been successfully rooting it out, period. And that work continues, we still have a lot to do," Pere continued.

Ossinovski reaffirmed the Social Democrats' long-standing support for free early childhood education, stating, "This has been a programmatic position of the Social Democrats."

Ossinvoski: Regulation and not just budget amendment needed to abolish kindergarten fees

Nonetheless, he highlighted that a regulation, not just a budget amendment, would be needed to change the kindergarten fee. He also warned that part-time use of kindergarten spots could limit access for full-time families, saying, "One issue... is how to avoid the situation where families who wish to use a kindergarten spot only once a week still register." Ossinovski stressed that the current amendment proposal, covering September 1 to December 31, wouldn't effectively change the fee, as it only addresses budget revenues and expenses. For long-term reform, he noted, €9 million would be required for next year and beyond, calling for a broader financial strategy.

Ossinovski remarked that it was: "A bit funny that a Social Democrat has to remind Reform Party members of this, but I do so gladly," stressing that reducing recurring revenues by €9 million to abolish the kindergarten fee requires finding new revenues or cutting costs. The mayor proposed working with specialists to ensure financial coverage before bringing the matter to the city council. He clarified that the issue won't be decided on Thursday and called for a thorough review to ensure kindergartens are accessible from September 1.

The rift in Tallinn's ruling coalition began when the Reform Party proposed, early on the morning of Monday, June 2, abolishing kindergarten fees in the supplementary budget, a plan rejected by its partners. Only around 90 minutes later, Center made a similar proposal, sparking a week of heated exchanges. SDE, Isamaa, and Eesti 200 have accused Reform of colluding with Center, while Reform blamed its partners for blocking an election promise and criticized Ossinovski for neglecting reforms and prioritizing his own party's agenda.

Another city government press conference is scheduled for Wednesday lunchtime.

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