The Center Party won significantly more seats on the city council than Isamaa in the election and Mihhail Kõlvart received far more votes than you. Doesn't it seem logical, then, that the mayor's seat should go to Mihhail Kõlvart?

We agreed on the general outline for determining the mayor's seat in our public statement when we began coalition negotiations: the mayoralty will belong to the Center Party for two years and to Isamaa for two years.

It's true that Isamaa didn't win the election and for that reason we're applying an approach to the mayoral candidate that we hope will bring added value to the city's governance.

But it's also true that the Center Party didn't win an absolute majority, so in that case, the partners need to reach an agreement and I believe this one has substantive merit.

How exactly did this agreement come about? Who proposed this arrangement?

I was the one who proposed it. In reality, there wasn't any separate bargaining over it. Reaching a mutual understanding on such matters even before negotiations begin helps build a certain level of trust that substantive results can also be achieved on other issues.

But I'd like to remind you that the negotiations haven't actually started yet. What we did was formulate some preliminary principles for the talks and this arrangement was included among them.

Did you threaten [Center leader Mihhail] Kõlvart that if he refused this agreement you would start coalition talks with the four-party alliance?

No.

Doesn't this seem like a somewhat undemocratic solution, given the vastly different number of votes received? And also, if it was decided that the position should go to Isamaa, why aren't you becoming mayor yourself?

I am very much following democratic logic. It's true that Isamaa's vote count was significantly lower than, among others, the Center Party's, which mechanically won the election. But in a democracy, it's not at all illogical — on the contrary, it's essential — that agreements are reached in order to form majority coalitions. And this is one element of such an agreement.

I believe it's important for us to seek common ground right now, not only within the coalition, but more broadly with society as a whole. Just yesterday, for example, former Reform Party Tallinn mayor [candidate] Urmas Sõõrumaa sent me his proposals regarding urban development and other matters concerning city life. We had a conversation and I think this kind of input from different channels enables us to engage in a broader dialogue with society.

From the standpoint of political responsibility, wouldn't it still be important for an Isamaa politician to take the position?

I believe that, of course, the mayoral candidate put forward by Isamaa will bear political responsibility on behalf of the party. The party takes responsibility for that individual's actions upon assuming office and, naturally, that person also bears political responsibility and identifies themselves as a representative of Isamaa.

There is no ambiguity here. It's not a case of someone politically floating in limbo or occupying some sort of in-between role. No — this is clearly someone who carries political responsibility. That is our assumption.

I'll ask the question once more — why don't you want to become mayor yourself? You confirmed before the election that you were ready to take on the role.

Yes, of course I confirmed that before the election. But the outcome was such that the Center Party won by a wide margin — that's a fact. And I believe that even from our perspective, it wouldn't be objectively justifiable, given that logic, for the mayor to come specifically from among the politicians who ran as Isamaa candidates.

That's why, when making our proposal, we settled on the idea that it would make sense to find a solution that creates added value for the city: someone who is free from past political rivalries or at least has stood somewhat outside them. Someone who, from an organizational stability standpoint, can contribute meaningfully, but who is also able by virtue of the role to engage in credible dialogue with entrepreneurs, investors and various interest groups to help restore optimism around economic development, which is the core issue right now.

Tallinn's weight in the Estonian economy accounts for half of our gross domestic product. And I see that in the longer view, these opportunities have perhaps been underutilized. Now we need to make a strong and sustained effort — we need to push harder.

Given that logic, why didn't the mayor's seat go to the Center Party?

We agreed that the Center Party will get the mayor's position after two years. For the first two years, the role will be filled by a candidate put forward by Isamaa who has no prior political background but brings extensive leadership experience.

Why is that? Because it's a solution. A solution needed to better harness Tallinn's potential. I think we all understand that in this city, the buzz around practical municipal issues has become overly politicized — issues that actually require competent, results-oriented management.

And I believe this approach — yes, I understand it's unconventional in a political culture where the temptation is often to focus on dividing up posts. But I think we're in an unconventional situation. Estonia is currently experiencing one of the longest economic stagnation periods in the EU, compared to other member states. That means we must also find unconventional and more compelling solutions, as much as is within the power of democratic politicians and the influence of local government.

Let's not be afraid of those solutions.

Is Isamaa's mayoral candidate Kairi Vaher?

You know, you'll certainly be asking about several people over the coming days. I've already read that questions are being raised about Kairi Vaher, Allar Jõks was mentioned in the paper and Urmas Sõõrumaa said he hasn't received an offer but wouldn't accept it anyway.

All of them are decent, respectable, accomplished individuals. I won't start ruling anyone out — it wouldn't be polite or appropriate. There are many strong candidates, a whole range of good people who would certainly deserve to be considered for the role.

We have our own method for forming a shortlist and we're proceeding at our own pace. When the time is right, we'll inform the public.

So yes, we'll be introducing the candidate in a positive light, if you follow my reasoning. Not in a negative way — by crossing off, one by one, every capable, experienced and respected person who might be suitable for the position. I don't think those decent people deserve to be part of a guessing game with their names and I'm not going to play along with that approach.

When can we expect you to announce the name?

We're moving forward steadily and once the time is right, once we've done our homework, we'll announce the candidate. Naturally, we'll inform the potential coalition partner beforehand.

You also have to understand that our coalition negotiations are only just beginning. We need to learn from past experience too. Let me remind you what happened over the summer, when Mr. Sõõrumaa, in good faith, was presented as the Reform Party's mayoral candidate. And then, for some, it turned into a tragic episode — for others, a comic one.

We need to learn from those situations as well. We're dealing with serious, substantial individuals here and these decisions must be made with a focus on substance and logic.

Do you already have an agreement with a specific mayoral candidate?

No.

I understand — your question is really whether this person actually exists and whether we're hiding them. That was the gist of it, right?

No, as of today, the party has not made a firm decision on a single candidate. We're in the process of forming a shortlist. That's the format.

And am I right in understanding that the potential future coalition partner, the Center Party, also doesn't yet know who the next mayor of Tallinn might be?

Naturally — that's a bit of a tautological question. If we ourselves haven't made a final decision, then of course we're not in a position to inform either a potential coalition partner or, for that matter, the public.

But we are moving forward. And here I also ask the public for understanding: these are weighty matters. We truly want to find a new focal point for harnessing Tallinn's development potential. Over the past two weeks, we've progressed step by step through the preliminary phase of coalition talks and are now continuing with that same deliberate approach as we work toward a decision — trying to maximize the outcome internally.

But there's one thing I can confirm. Some competing political forces have suggested there's stalling going on. That's not the case. Our fundamental premise, which we also laid out in yesterday's joint statement announcing the start of coalition negotiations, is that all necessary decisions must be made by the time the city council convenes. That includes both the policy agenda or coalition agreement and of course the personnel choices.

We won't lose a second once the city council meets and begins forming the new city government and setting the course for its work. We need to draw up the budget. We need to deal with practical issues effectively. And I believe we are approaching this with the assumption that, through bilateral negotiations, we can move forward efficiently and reach meaningful results.

If Isamaa gets the mayor's seat, does that mean, by the same logic, that the position of city council chair would go to the Center Party? And what role will you personally take on?

You know, once again we're getting ahead of ourselves. First, we'll begin coalition negotiations. We expect to find answers to the substantive issues. We'll also find answers to the matter of positions, which always generates public interest and speculation. Only after that can we move forward and the parties can appoint their representatives to these roles.

So let's proceed step by step. I genuinely ask for people's understanding on that.

Based on that logic, could the city council chair position also end up going to Isamaa?

No, I'm not going to engage in that kind of speculation. I think it's reasonable to expect that the partners will find a balance on these matters, as has traditionally been the case. But let me put it this way: we will be able to resolve all of these questions in a way that is mutually understood and agreed upon.

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