Hanno Pevkur has just announced on social media that he is leaving national politics and will not run in the Riigikogu elections. What does this mean for the party and its election campaign?

This is Hanno's personal decision. We tried to persuade him to reconsider and run after all. He is a highly experienced politician who has served in national politics for a very long time, held several ministerial positions in Estonia and always been one of the most trustworthy and hardworking people in Estonian politics. Unfortunately, he made this decision and will not run in the Riigikogu elections this time. I think this is a major loss for Estonia.

As for what this means for our candidate lists, we are in the process, like all other parties, of putting together a total of 125 candidates across Estonia. We will now review the entire lineup, including who will run and where, bearing in mind that Hanno is unfortunately no longer part of the equation.

What position did the party offer Hanno Pevkur on its candidate lists for the Riigikogu elections?

As I said, we are talking about someone who has spent 25 years in national politics and has been one of the most trusted politicians throughout that time. So, of course, we discussed offering him the top spot on the candidate list in one of the electoral districts.

But which electoral district?

That is an internal party matter, but obviously we were talking about a very prominent position, heading the list in one of the districts.

Was he unhappy with that offer?

No, his decision had nothing to do with the offer. It was a personal decision. He has been in politics for a very long time and wants a change of pace. On a personal level, I can understand that decision. But it was entirely his own decision and had nothing to do with the position he was offered.

Liina Kersna also recently announced that she does not intend to run in the Riigikogu elections, while Maris Lauri has also left politics. What could it mean for the Reform Party's election result that three such prominent figures are sitting out this race?

I think it is very positive from the perspective that Maris Lauri has secured a very prestigious position in the Office of the President. Her professional expertise — she was an economic analyst before entering national politics — continues to be valued at the highest level. And joining the president's team is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in every respect. President Madise has assembled an excellent team.

As for Liina, again, the positive thing is that she said she is taking a break from politics to focus on education. I hope she returns to politics. She has spent 12 years in the Riigikogu and served as a minister. That is exactly what we should be looking for in politics: People come in, contribute for a period, spend some time outside politics and then return. That is very, very positive.

Of course, the party still has many good people who will be running in the elections. But there are understandable reasons behind all these cases. Hanno has been in politics for a very long time and made a personal decision, Liina is taking a break and Maris has effectively received a promotion.

My question was what the withdrawal of these three prominent figures from politics could mean for the Reform Party's election result.

I think that regardless of these three individuals, we will have very strong candidate lists in all 12 electoral districts across Estonia. We have people from many different professional backgrounds who will be seeking voters' mandates in the Riigikogu elections.

And for every party, its platform is also extremely important ahead of an election. I believe we will once again put together the most forward-looking platform and campaign pledges, which will support the people of Estonia through difficult times while also offering ideas for growing Estonia's economy and, of course, keeping Estonia independent and free.

In light of what is undoubtedly bad news for the party, have you also been in talks with any prominent figures who will now run for the Reform Party in the Riigikogu elections but whose candidacies you have not yet announced? Martin Herem, for example?

We have quite a few people and next week will certainly bring some good news for the public, with leading figures in their respective fields joining the Reform Party's candidate lists for the Riigikogu elections.

Are we talking about [Defense Minister] Martin Herem?

We are talking about various people. You will hear about them next week.

But as far as Martin Herem is concerned, have you spoken with him? Have you perhaps stepped up your efforts to persuade him to run in light of these departures?

Of course, we are also talking with Martin. Just as I talk with all members of the party's governing board about various matters, we also discuss the elections, running for office and helping the party. But all of these matters will soon be made public and everything will become clear in the coming weeks.

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