Estonia under Kallas’ rule has been one of Europe’s most vocal backers of Ukraine following the Russian invasion that started in Feb.2022.
“The people of Estonia need assurance that our home and land are protected and that the country is well-run,” Michal said in a press statement following the party meeting, adding that national security would remain a key issue for the new Cabinet in the country of 1.3 million that neighbors Russia.
The 48-year-old Michal, a former economics and justice minister, also vowed to improve the country’s economic competitiveness as prime minister. He also hinted that the current 4-year government program the coalition had already agreed on would likely be revised under his leadership.
The climate minister is a seasoned politician who has been active among the ranks of the Reform Party, Estonia’s key political establishment, since the late 1990s. Apart from Cabinet posts, Michal has served as Reform’s party secretary, a member of Tallinn City Council and an adviser to ex-prime minister Siim Kallas, Reform’s co-founder and Kaja Kallas’ father.
He is known for a long and acclaimed political career focused on Estonia’s internal affairs but lacks international experience — almost the complete opposite of Kaja Kallas who has excelled on international arenas with her foreign experience but was clearly out of her comfort zone in domestic politics, leading to a major dip in her popularity among Estonians.
Kallas acknowledged Michal’s strong domestic political experience as an asset. He is “much stronger in political tactics than I’ve ever been,” she told news portal Delfi on Saturday.
The Reform Party said that Kallas will represent Estonia as a prime minister at the NATO summit in Washington in July.
Source link : https://apnews.com/article/estonia-michal-kallas-prime-minister-european-union-1a23a0fb1c4439cfa40cc4b42bcf6280
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Publish date : 2024-06-29 07:00:00
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