Sole Brit survivor of modern Titanic disaster on claims ferry was sunk by Russians
Paul Barney who worked in North Wales was on board the MS Estonia ferry when it sank, claiming 852 lives
05:00, 17 JAN 2021
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Europhile to be Estonia’s first woman PM
World
January 15, 2021
TALLINN: Estonia’s pro-business opposition leader Kaja Kallas was nominated on Thursday to become the Baltic eurozone member’s first woman prime minister, pending the support of parliament.
Kallas, leader of the Reform Party, is a staunch europhile and the daughter of former Estonian prime minister Siim Kallas. The 43-year-old would replace Juri Ratas, who resigned on Wednesday. His resignation brings down the governing centre-right coalition, which includes the far-right EKRE party. Both the Estonian people and I are expecting that Estonia would quickly have an active and competent government, which focuses on handling the pandemic and the economic crisis, President Kersti Kaljulaid said in a statement.
Although Center Party and Reform Party are negotiating to form a government and will soon distribute influential political positions, they will not be able to step into the position of President of the Riigikogu until at least March 22.
The Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act says that the elections of the roles of Riigikogu president and vice-presidents will take place in the final sitting of the Riigikogu s full week prior to one year passing from last elections.
The President of the Riigikogu is Henn Põlluaas (EKRE) and he was elected to the position on March 25, 2020, meaning the Riigikogu will choose a new speaker in the week of March 22-28, 2021. The election day will likely be Wednesday, March 24.
Leader of the Center Party and Estonia's outgoing Prime Minister Jüri Ratas said that the government coalition would have lasted without the suspicion of corruption brought against the Center Party. However, the leader of the Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) and outgoing Minister of Finance Martin Helme said the coalition fell because Center did not want to support the holding of a referendum on marriage.
Estonia's ruling coalition, including the far-right and anti-EU EKRE party, collapsed Wednesday after the Centre-party prime minister Juri Ratas resigned when senior staff were named as suspects in a corruption inquiry. The Estonian president asked the le.