Reinsalu accuses Social Democrats of evading responsibility

Urmas Reinsalu, leader of the opposition Isamaa party, has accused the Social Democrats of evading responsibility after party leader Lauri Läänemets said snap elections would plunge Estonia into chaos, ERR reported.

“Social Democrats, do not evade responsibility,” Reinsalu wrote on social media.

Reinsalu said Läänemets had correctly described the government led by Prime Minister Kristen Michal as having lost its legitimacy and failed, while also identifying areas of social life where confusion was increasing and for which the prime minister was responsible.

“That diagnosis is understandable. What is completely incomprehensible, however, is Läänemets’ view that such confusion should continue on the grounds that removing the Michal government would cause chaos,” Reinsalu said.

According to Reinsalu, chaos would affect only the parties currently in power, not Estonia as a whole. “People perceive it the opposite way: as the first steps towards ending the chaos,” he said.

Reinsalu again called for snap elections, saying Läänemets had set conditions for the Social Democrats to vote against the Michal government. In doing so, he said, Läänemets was suggesting that there was no alternative to the current government.

“There is an alternative. New elections would allow citizens to judge the Reform Party’s failed policies,” Reinsalu said.

He added that a new government should not be formed by a majority in a parliament whose composition no longer reflected public trust, but through elections in which citizens could give their assessment.

Reinsalu said snap elections would not constitute chaos, but would provide citizens’ feedback and guidance for moving forward. He noted that early elections had been held in many European countries during political deadlocks.

“Elections would hopefully bring the change that many people, above all those currently in power, fear,” Reinsalu said.

He also criticised Läänemets’ concern that a government that had resigned should no longer take on substantial financial commitments on behalf of the state.

Reinsalu said the same situation would arise after regular elections. The sooner the Reform Party was removed from governing the country, including decisions involving state finances, the better, he said.

According to Reinsalu, the Social Democrats were looking for excuses not to vote against the Michal government.

“Whatever lies behind this position will become clear soon. In any case, this approach makes the Social Democrats politically responsible for the Michal government’s agenda,” Reinsalu said.

“Being in opposition is also a responsibility. You cannot run away from it. Individual deals cannot outweigh the importance of choices based on principles,” he added.

Kõlvart calls for a clear position

Mihhail Kõlvart, leader of the Centre Party, said Läänemets appeared to have revised his position on voting no confidence in the government, but that the substance of his message remained unclear.

According to Kõlvart, Läänemets had set two conditions for a no-confidence vote: first, Reinsalu must show that all the necessary votes are available, and then he must propose an alternative government.

“A no-confidence vote is a matter of principle: does the party trust the Michal government or not? That principle should not depend on arithmetic. The result of the no-confidence vote may depend on arithmetic, but a person’s position should not,” Kõlvart said.

He also called it unclear why the Social Democrats would vote against the current government only if Reinsalu showed how he would form a new one.

“Would it not be better to give voters the opportunity to decide who should sit in the next parliament and how the government should be formed?” Kõlvart said.