Tallinn city council to vote on Mayor Aas' future on May 8
Following the opposition parties' submitting a motion of no confidence against Tallinn Mayor Taavi Aas (Center) on Thursday, the city council will vote on it on May 8. The Social Democrats, the Reform Party, IRL, and EKRE all said that Tallinn's lasting issues with graft can't be addressed as long as Aas remains in office.
Kristen Michal, chairman of the Reform Party's group on the city council, said on social media on Thursday that they will vote on the motion early on May 8. "Center Party member Taavi Aas has become part of the problem of Tallinn, not part of the solution," Michal added.
The no-confidence motion was launched by the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), the Reform Party, the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and the Conservative People's Party (EKRE).
Riina Solman, leading IRL's group, said that Tallinn's corruption problem has become a serious obstacle for business in the city. The fact that some things only move when bribes are paid undermines the trust of businesses in the city, and kept investors from coming in. Putting an end to corruption in Tallinn is of decisive importance for the economic development of all of Estonia, Solman said.
EKRE's Urmas Reitelmann said that the Center Party's ten years of unchecked power in the city had put a party food chain in place, and the current mayor had neither the power nor the will to change the situation.
The opposition has 38 council mandates against the Center Party's 40. Of the total 79 mandates, one is also held by former long-time Center Party chairman Edgar Savisaar (independent).
Editor: Dario Cavegn
Source: ERR, BNS
