Social Democrats will abstain in no-confidence vote on government

Estonia’s Social Democratic Party will abstain in a vote on a motion of no confidence in the government, party leader Lauri Läänemets said on ETV programme Ringvaade, ERR reported. The party does not want to bring down the government, but will not endorse it either.

Läänemets said the Social Democrats would ask critical questions and make a speech in the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament, but would not vote. He said the motion was expected to fail, with the outcome depending on votes from Isamaa, the Centre Party and EKRE on one side, and Estonia 200 and the Reform Party on the other.

The party has no confidence in the government, Läänemets said, citing what he described as failures in healthcare, national defence and other areas. But he said the Social Democrats would not help create political chaos without a viable alternative. He said he had asked Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu and Centre Party leader Mihhail Kõlvart to propose a functioning alternative government, but they had not done so.

Läänemets ruled out a coalition with EKRE and said forming a government with the other current opposition parties would also be difficult. He added that a government that loses a no-confidence vote has very limited decision-making powers under the law.

He said Social Affairs Minister Karmen Joller was the government member most deserving of a no-confidence motion, and that the Social Democrats would support such a motion against her. Läänemets accused her of alienating doctors and nurses and making harmful decisions for healthcare. He said a recent Health Insurance Fund council measure, described as an efficiency drive, would mean longer waiting lists and less medical care worth 40 million euros next year.

A written motion of no confidence in the government, signed by 34 members of parliament, was being discussed in the Riigikogu.