Reinsalu accuses coalition of avoiding presidential election debate

Estonia’s coalition parties want to “appoint, not elect” the next president because they fear a substantive debate, opposition Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu said in a social media post, according to ERR.

Reinsalu sharply criticised the coalition’s preparations for the presidential election, accusing the parties of deepening a crisis of trust and undermining President Alar Karis’s authority. He said the same parties were trying to shape the election agenda with only a few months remaining before their term in power ends.

Reinsalu recalled that the Reform Party had previously tried to control Karis, but that the president had not yielded. He said Karis had instead suggested, at the height of the attacks, that Kaja Kallas should consider leaving office. According to Reinsalu, Karis later won broader public trust and maintained a common-sense approach, which made him unsuitable for the coalition.

“The chameleons who are now talking about cooperation in the presidential election spent six months discrediting the constitutional head of state and pressuring him not to run,” Reinsalu said.

He accused the coalition parties of weakening Karis’s authority and delaying meetings in order to create a situation in which only a forced choice would remain. He said the president had also continued to face pressure through claims that he lacked the coalition’s support.

Reinsalu said the coalition was now similarly trying to use Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise. He referred to a public statement by the Reform Party secretary-general that the coalition had 69 signatures, saying the parties had not even met collectively while one faction had already made decisions.

“The coalition fears a substantive presidential election debate like fire, because it would lead to the crisis of trust and its causes,” Reinsalu said.

He also highlighted a version reported by Äripäev that the coalition may be more interested in the Chancellor of Justice position than in the presidency, because the office has greater legal powers.

To improve the situation, Reinsalu proposed returning to substantive discussions in the Council of Elders of the Riigikogu. He said he hoped Tuesday’s meeting would be meaningful rather than merely symbolic.

Reinsalu said the parties should first define the qualifications and expectations for the president instead of focusing only on foreign policy and diplomatic skills. He also called for meetings with potential candidates to discuss their vision.

Isamaa has already met with Riho Ühtegi, Indrek Laul and Maive Rute, whose views focused on Estonia’s situation and overcoming the crisis of trust, Reinsalu said. The coalition, he added, had refused to meet them.