The Center Party held a council meeting on Sunday to talk about the incoming coalition s priorities and approve its new ministerial candidates.
Minister of Social Affairs Tanel Kiik and Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas will keep their positions transferring from the outgoing government.
The position of internal affairs minister will go to the Police and Border Guard Board s (PPA) Northern Prefect Kristian Jaani.
Estonian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Eva-Maria Liimets will become foreign affairs minister.
The Ministry of Culture will answer to current Minister of Public Administration Anneli Ott, while chairman of the Riigikogu Social Affairs Committee Tõnis Mölder will become environment minister.
Northern Police Prefect Kristian Jaan who will become internal affairs minister in Kaja Kallas' government hopes to combat corruption in politics. Asked whether he will join the Center Party that invited him, Jaani said he has taken some time to ponder it.
Chairman of the Reform Party Kaja Kallas said that sides to the incoming coalition tried to strike a balance between experience and novelty as well as men and women when choosing ministers. The idea behind the composition of my government was to strike a balance between men and women and between experience and novelty, Kallas told journalists after the Reform Party council meeting on Sunday.
Kallas gave an overview of all Reform ministers.
Minister of Finance Keit Pentus-Rosimannus has served as a minister before and was present for coalition talks, meaning that she knows the government s priorities and knows to keep an eye on them. Pentus-Rosimannus was involved in fixing the 2009 (crisis -ed.) budget and getting it ready for the switch to the euro, Kallas said. The incoming PM also defended Pentus-Rosimannus who is associated with the so-called Autorollo scandal. Estonia is a country based on the rule of law and only courts can pass judgment – we have presumption of innocen
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center) on Thursday strongly condemned the shooting on Ãmera tänav in Tallinn s Lasnamäe district on Tuesday as a result of which a 36-year-old mother of two was fatally wounded. It is impossible for me to understand how events took such a tragic turn and very difficult to perceive that young children will be left without a mother, Ratas said.
He strongly condemned the shooter s act and expressed confidence that law enforcement authorities would find out all circumstances of the case. I also hope that those who have lost a loved one will receive comprehensive support to help them cope with this difficult situation, Ratas said.