Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Photo source: Wikipedia.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Kallas, on the other hand, has said that she is not going to resign voluntarily because of the scandal with her husband, whose business, as it turned out, was connected to Russia. By law, the decision on her eventual departure from the post of prime minister can only be taken by parliament.
“I will not voluntarily resign as prime minister,” Kallas said at a government press conference on Thursday, August 7. “I have a proposal: let the opposition vote of no confidence, and if they manage to convince the majority to support my resignation, then at least it will be a constitutional and legal instrument.” The prime minister added that “pressing emotions”, expecting that the nerves of the head of the government will not withstand the load, is an illegal way.
For Kallas to pass a vote of no confidence, it is necessary for the decision to be supported by 51 out of 101 members of parliament. The ruling coalition has 60 mandates.
The scandal with Arvo Hallik, the husband of the Estonian Prime Minister, was caused by the fact that the transport company Stark Logistics, partly owned by him, continues to transport goods to Russia. The portal of state television and radio ERR reported about it in particular. This information caused a wide public in Estonia. Critics of the current prime minister have pointed out that Kallas is calling on the whole world to “stop the bloody business with Russia”, but they claim that she did not know that her husband's company continues to make money from transporting goods to “the country of the aggressor”. In the midst of the scandal, the opposition called on the head of government to resign. However, Klassa herself immediately declared that this was out of the question.
Previously, MK announced that the President of Estonia believes that it would be better for everyone if the head of the government cabinet voluntarily resigned. If she had done this at the very beginning of the scandal, it would not have led the country's political system to a serious crisis.