Six of the proposed 15 ministers in Estonia's next coalition have never held ministerial office before, four from the Social Democrats and two from Isamaa's.
Chairman of the opposition Conservative People's Party (EKRE) Martin Helme welcomes the new coalition's decision to hike family benefits but criticizes the incoming government of the Reform Party, Isamaa and SDE in other aspects. Helme believes Reform is taking advantage of the Social Democrats and that two Isamaa ministers could prove hapless.
Three out five ministerial candidates of Isamaa were predictable. Urmas Reinsalu, Tõnis Lukas and Riina Solman have all been ministers before. If any intrigue could be found here, it would concern Reinsalu, because his replacement member in the Riigikogu will be one of the leading figures of the Right-wingers, Siim Kiisler. This is something Helir-Valdor Seeder would have preferred to avoid but since Kiisler is the replacement member of several well-known Isamaa members, the party leaders must have decided that there was no way out but to let the political rival into the parliament.
Incoming environment minister Madis Kallas will likely join the party which appointed him to the post, the Social Democrats (SDE), in the near future, though has not submitted his application yet.
Isamaa on Thursday afternoon published the names of the party's ministerial candidates for the new Reform-Isamaa-SDE government coalition. The Social Democrats' picks for minister have been unveiled as well.