Anvelt will be stepping down as Minister of the Interior and will no longer be running in the 2019 Riigikogu elections. He was to be the Social Democratic Party's number one candidate in Ida-Viru County next March.

He announced at Tuesday afternoon's press conference that he would be leaving politics altogether, and would also not join the Riigikogu for the just over three months remaining until the next elections. He also confirmed that his reason for leaving was deeply personal — his health.

"I have been in politics for ten years, five of which have been in the Riigikogu and three in the government," Anvelt explained. "I had a clear plan to participate in the work of the next Riigikogu as well, but for the past couple of days, the most important alarm clock of all — [my] health — has been ringing. I cannot do this to myself or to my loved ones that I ignore this warning and keep working until something very serious happens."

Anvelt will continue serving as Minister of the Interior until his replacement has been confirmed.

This spring, Anvelt was hospitalised with pneumonia and a high fever, and he has been plagued with health issues since as well.

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