Peeter Tali takes over as Estonia’s national defence committee chair

Estonia’s Riigikogu national defence committee elected Eesti 200 member Peeter Tali as its new chair on Monday, ERR reported. Unaffiliated MP Leo Kunnas will continue as deputy chair.

“My main goal is to restore working peace in the defence field,” Tali told ERR after the vote.

He said disagreements between some committee members and Martin Herem, who is set to become the new defence minister, should not obstruct the committee’s work.

Tali was elected with seven votes in favour and five against, meaning at least one MP from outside the coalition supported him.

The coalition and opposition each hold six votes on the committee. The coalition side includes three Reform Party MPs, Alar Laneman, who left the EKRE parliamentary group and joined the Reform Party, and two Eesti 200 members, Tali and Toomas Uibo.

The committee also includes Vladimir Arhipov of the Centre Party, Raimond Kaljulaid of the Social Democratic Party, Priit Sibul of Isamaa, and unaffiliated MPs Leo Kunnas, Enn Eesmaa and Meelis Kiili.

The chairmanship became vacant after Kalev Stoicescu left Eesti 200. The party then recalled him from the committee and appointed Uibo as his replacement.

Under the coalition agreement, the Reform Party chooses the defence minister, while the national defence committee chair should come from Eesti 200.

Tali had previously chaired the European Union Affairs Committee and told ERR he would leave that position.