Kõlvart said the current government reshuffle, which will see Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and Energy and Environment Minister Andres Sutt, both of the Reform Party, leave their posts, shows there is nothing left to save in the current governing coalition, not even through a reshuffle.

"It seems to me that the situation within the Reform Party itself is probably not particularly stable at the moment either," Kõlvart said. "If ministers decide not to continue in politics, then they don't see a future. Nor do they see a future for their own party."

Given the coalition's low approval ratings and the scandal in the defense sector, Kõlvart said the reasonable course of action would be to hold a snap election.

"If we look at the situation pragmatically — insofar as politicians are capable of looking at a situation pragmatically at all — we can see crises in key sectors," he said, pointing to defense, education and healthcare, as well as the need for a new political leader for the energy sector.

"Every sector needs a new approach and a fresh start," Kõlvart said.

He added that Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur's departure alone is not enough.

"In my view, the responsibility today is primarily political and extends beyond a single minister. The systemic disorder is not solely a problem of the Ministry of Defense," Kõlvart said.

With public trust in both the government and the Riigikogu at a record low, Kõlvart argued that a snap election is the only way out of the current political crisis.

"The sooner the better, even if it is just three or four months earlier rather than seven months from now," he said. "Then these issues can be addressed systematically, rather than having new ministers come in and spend their time campaigning for the election."

Although the Social Democrats have said they do not support a snap election, Kõlvart said holding one remains a realistic possibility because Estonia currently has a minority government and the opposition has more votes in the Riigikogu than the governing coalition.

"It comes down to political choices," he said. "We have also seen that politicians, including the Social Democrats, can change their minds and quite quickly."

Kõlvart said the Center Party's aim is to demonstrate that there is a genuine need for an early election. He also rejected the argument that there would be insufficient time for proper political debate.

"It seems to me that the argument that a snap election should not be held because we wouldn't have time to organize a debate is not entirely sincere," he said.

Kõlvart argued that voters can already distinguish between parties that genuinely want political change and those that would prefer to wait until the scheduled election in the hope of improving their polling numbers.

"Today, society can judge who genuinely wants change and who says quite openly that because our poll numbers aren't high enough and our competitors' numbers are high, we should wait another six months for the situation to change so that we can win more seats in the Riigikogu," he said.

Turning to the upcoming Riigikogu election, Kõlvart said no one can predict what will happen when voters go to the polls in March. Like every other party, he said, the Center Party's goal is to enter government, while its current level of support also gives it reason to hope it could win the election.

As for potential coalition partners, Kõlvart said governing with the Reform Party could largely be ruled out.

"The Reform Party has had plenty of time to put its vision into practice and show what it can achieve in the economy and in defense," Kõlvart said. "In our view, the Reform Party has failed to deliver. Therefore, our goal would be a coalition in which the Reform Party would not participate for the next four years."

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