Reform leader: Estonia's new coalition should start work as soon as possible

TALLINN - Leader of the Reform Party Kaja Kallas said in her speech at the party's extended board meeting on Sunday that the party wants to make rapid progress in coalition talks to enable a new government to take office as soon as possible.

"The security situation is not showing any signs of improvement, which is why it is crucial that the domestic political uncertainty should end rapidly and that Estonia should have a composed and competent government," Kallas said.

She added that the burden of governance is heavy during difficult times when it is not possible to make popular decisions; however, the Reform Party has never been one to run from responsibility, she added.

"It is too soon to say how the negotiations with the Isamaa party and the Social Democrats will go and what we will agree upon. In any case, there is common ground between us, and there is quite a lot of it. Estonian-language education, security, coping of people -- these are the areas that will most probably dominate the talks," the Reform Party leader said.

Kallas added that the three parties have a relatively shared understanding of the present concerns, and now, agreements on common solutions are needed.

"It is clear that Estonia's security is the basis for us being free and without it, all other fields lose their meaning and importance," she noted.

"We need to do everything we can to ensure that during the nine months left until the elections, a legislative basis be created for transitioning to Estonian-language education within the next few years. Russia's behavior towards its neighboring countries has demonstrated that this reform can no longer be postponed," Kallas said.

The Reform leader noted that the time remaining until the general elections will not be easy.

"Rapid inflation while the economy is cooling down, coping of people, energy crisis, war refugees -- these are all problems to which there are no simple solutions. The elections to be held in March will create temptations to start sending populist messages; however, the Reform Party knows that public revenues come from the taxpayer's pocket and that it is the government that has been entrusted with these revenues. In difficult times, it is not right to sacrifice Estonia's long-term goals in the name of solutions with short-term gain," Kallas said. "If we understand that and stick together, we can also get through these times."