Thirty Estonian foreign and security policy experts, politicians, entrepreneurs and officials announced the creation of the Estonian Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday. The NGO is the initiative of former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Chairman of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson. The idea matured over time, Ilves admitted. The former president said that the impulse to create the council came after a conversation he had with Mihkelson last fall after both had read an article on the American Council on Foreign Relations that was created 100 years ago. It was created as a reaction to the country s sharp turn toward isolationism and protectionism at the time, Ilves explained.
Six MEPs condemn breaching of privacy and unflattering attitude towards EU Ambassador to Georgia
By Veronika Malinboym
Monday, February 8
On Saturday, January 6, six members of the European Parliament expressed their concerns over the recent statements from Tea Tsulukiani, MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party. MEPs working on issues such as Viola von Cramon, Michael Grahler, Andrius Kubilius, Sven Mikser, Petras Austrevicius, and Marketa Gregorova sent a joint letter concerning the unethical incident at the Georgian Parliament in which Tsulukiani carelessly breached privacy by her publicly citing a phone number of the director of opposition-minded TV channel, Mtavari Arkhi during the Parliaments plenary session. EU Ambassador to Georgia, Carl Hartzell, who was present at the session, referred to the incident as unethical. In response, Tsulukiani requested a private meeting with Hartzell and later told journalists that his remark expressed his personal opinion
Reform leader Kaja Kallas must make healing societal divides a priority, opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE) leader Indrek Saar said Saturday. Saar also warned Reform of risks in entering into office with Center, given the latter s litany of corruption accusations, charges and penalties over the past few years.
In comments ahead of an SDE extended board meeting, Saar said that the Reform-Center pairing undergoing coalition discussions could count on his and his party s full support.
Saar added that the events of the past days saw an ill-conceived plan for holding what he said was a socially divisive referendum on the definition of marriage shelved, following Jüri Ratas (Center) resignation early on Wednesday.
Social Democratic Party (SDE): 11
The new coalition needs 51 seats of the 101 seats available to have a majority and the more seats the better.
ERR s Estonian portal looked at the possible combinations for the next government.
Reform Party + Center Party: 59 seats
A coalition between the Reform Party and the Center Party is likely the most probable new coalition and would have a total of 59 seats. It would also be easier to reach an agreement with two parties instead of three. The prime minister of this coalition could be either Kaja Kallas or Jüri Ratas.
This possible coalition was considered to be the most likely after the last election in 2019. Reform chairman Kaja Kallas reserved comments suggest the party does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past when it was left out of the previous coalition.