Estonian Reform Party Chairwoman Kaja Kallas addresses the parliament in Tallinn, Estonia, July 15, 2022. The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) on Friday granted a mandate to the new government coalition of the Reform Party, Isamaa Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDE). (Erik Peinar/Parliament of Estonia/Handout via Xinhua)
TALLINN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) on Friday granted a mandate to the new government coalition of the Reform Party, Isamaa Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDE).
At an extraordinary parliamentary session, Reform Party Chairwoman Kaja Kallas made a political statement introducing the new coalition agreement jointly signed by the leaders of all three parties earlier on Friday: Kallas, Isamaa party's Helir-Valdor Seeder and SDE's Lauri Laanemets.
The vote was 52 in favor and 26 against in the 101-seat parliament to grant Prime ministerial candidate Kaja Kallas a mandate to form the next government, said the press release.
On Thursday, Kallas submitted her resignation as prime minister and that of the entire government to Estonian President Alar Karis, who then asked her to form a new government.
The three coalition partners also announced candidates for ministers of the next government, five ministerial portfolios to each party including the post of prime minister.
The Reform Party, 34 seats in the Riigikogu, has been ruling as a minority government since Kallas dismissed all seven ministers from the junior coalition partner Center Party due to a dispute over welfare policy on June 3.
At present, Isamaa and SDE have 12 and 9 seats respectively in the Estonian Parliament.
In accordance with the Constitution, the Estonian head of state nominates the candidate for prime minister, who is granted the authority to form a government by the parliament. The head of state then appoints the members of the government, after which they swear the oath of office before the Parliament.
Kallas, 45, has led her party since 2018 and became prime minister in 2021. The country is scheduled to hold the next parliamentary election in March 2023. ■
