Many-time minister and negotiating delegation member Ivari Padar (SDE) said on ERR's "Otse uudistemajast" webcast that a situation where one partner's chairman is not part of the government is detrimental to the functioning of the coalition.
Minister of Education Liina Kersna (Reform) says that a quick procurement of rapid coronavirus test kits for schools was made in the interests of keeping children in school at a time, in the fall of 2021, when Covid rates were high and getting higher, and was a joint cabinet decision and not hers alone.
The Reform Party's recent revitalization in support levels – from 19 percent at the start of the year to 26 percent this month, according to one market research firm – is mostly the result of its early, firm position on security issues following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to panelists on a special "Otse uudistemajast" webcast shown on Thursday.
While the move to replace the leadership of the government's coronavirus advisory board was understandable, the manner in which it was done was not, and seemed somewhat arbitrary, journalists appearing on two ERR radio shows on Sunday found.
Sunday political talk shows on ERR radio channels discussed rapid economic growth and salary advance, as well as the state of the pandemic in Estonia in light of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.