TALLINN, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Estonian President Alar Karis on Tuesday appointed three new ministers at the proposal of Prime Minister Kristen Michal in a partial cabinet reshuffle, nearly six months before the country's next parliamentary election.
Former Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Martin Herem was appointed defence minister, while current Minister of Economy and Industry Erkki Keldo will become minister of climate and energy, and Liina Vahtras minister of economy and industry.
According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR, the Reform Party board approved the three candidates earlier on Tuesday. Herem, who led the Estonian Defence Forces from 2018 to 2024 and is not a Reform Party member, accepted the offer last week. Michal said he proposed Herem to restore confidence in the defence sector.
Before the appointments, Karis met the three nominees to discuss economic, energy and security issues.
Outgoing Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announced his resignation earlier this month following criticism from the National Audit Office over the management and accounting of defence assets.
Keldo will replace Andres Sutt, who announced his resignation last week and said he planned to move to the private sector and would not run in the next Riigikogu (parliamentary) elections.
Vahtras, who currently heads Estonia's e-Residency programme and serves on the board of the Enterprise and Innovation Foundation, will in turn succeed Keldo as minister of economy and industry.
The reshuffle comes ahead of Estonia's next parliamentary election, scheduled for March 7, 2027. The replacement of ministers overseeing key portfolios so close to the election has raised concerns about policy continuity and whether the new ministers will have enough time to settle into their roles. ■