Party leaders call for Estonian defence minister Pevkur to resign

Most leaders of parties represented in the Estonian parliament say Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur should resign to restore public trust in the defence sector, ERR reported.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he did not currently see personal blame on Pevkur’s part, but that this did not rule out the minister taking political responsibility.

“This certainly does not look good, in my view as well. I do not currently see personal fault on the part of the defence minister, but I will say that this in no way rules out taking political responsibility,” Michal said.

Michal said he was also highly critical of the situation and wanted a full overview before drawing conclusions.

“You never eat soup as hot as it is cooked. I hope we will get this overview, and that the public will receive a fairly detailed account of exactly what happened and how it can be put right,” he said.

Coalition partner Eesti 200 is seeking answers from the defence minister about the next steps, including how the shells or the 70 million euros paid in advance will be recovered.

“Parliament is the government’s employer, yet clear answers have not been given to parliament,” Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas said, explaining why the Defence Ministry told parliament last year that everything was in order with the use of the funds.

Kallas said the loss of the 70 million euros would be borne by Estonian taxpayers and the state budget, even if the money could not be recovered through the courts.

“Seventy million is an enormous sum. For example, that money could be used to raise the salaries of all Estonian teachers by 10 percent,” she said.

Opposition parties are calling for Pevkur’s resignation. Social Democratic Party leader Lauri Läänemets said delaying the matter because of the presidential election was not justified.

Läänemets said opposition parties and unaffiliated lawmakers had already consulted on the possibility of a no-confidence motion if Pevkur did not resign himself.

“Estonia’s security issues are not matters of ideology. There is consensus in the country, and there is unquestionably complete consensus in the opposition,” he said.

The Estonian Conservative People’s Party and the Centre Party said the prime minister should primarily face a no-confidence motion.

“It was from his mouth that the main priority was announced, namely increasing defence spending. Society had a very clear understanding that the higher the spending, the better protected society would be. Today we understand that this is not the case, but society has made an effort based on that belief,” Centre Party leader Mihhail Kõlvart said.

The government cabinet will discuss the issue on Thursday morning. In addition to ministers, representatives involved in procurements at the State Defence Investment Centre will attend.