Kaja Kallas's third cabinet | |
---|---|
53rd Cabinet of Estonia | |
Incumbent | |
Date formed | 17 April 2023 |
People and organisations | |
Head of state | Alar Karis |
Head of government | Kaja Kallas |
No. of ministers | 13 |
Total no. of members | 13 |
Member parties | Reform Party Estonia 200 Social Democrats |
Status in legislature | Majority cabinet 65 / 101 (64%) |
Opposition parties | Conservative People's Party Centre Party Isamaa |
History | |
Election(s) | 2023 election |
Predecessor | Kaja Kallas's second cabinet |
The third cabinet of Kaja Kallas is the current cabinet of Estonia. The cabinet was sworn into office on 17 April 2023 following the 2023 parliamentary election. [1]
In the aftermath of the 2023 Estonian parliamentary election, the Reform Party increased their number of seats, and incumbent prime minister Kaja Kallas opted to open coalition negotiations with Estonia 200 and the Social Democrats on 7 March 2023. [2] [3] The decision was predicted by observers, who saw the possibility of a Reform–Estonia 200–SDE coalition as the most likely outcome of the election. [4] [5] [6]
On 7 April, Lauri Läänemets, the leader of SDE, confirmed that the three parties had come to an agreement, and Kallas revealed the composition of her incoming cabinet the following day. [7] [8] [9] [10] On 10 April, the coalition agreement was signed between the three party leaders, and Kallas later became prime minister-designate following the approval of the coalition government by the Riigikogu on 12 April. [11] [12] [13] [14] Kallas and her third cabinet were sworn into office on 17 April. [1]
The ministers of the cabinet were revealed by Kallas on 8 April 2023. The cabinet consists of 13 ministers, seven from the Reform Party (including the prime minister) and three each from Estonia 200 and the Social Democrats. [9]
The Estonian Reform Party is a liberal political party in Estonia. The party has been led by Kaja Kallas since 2018. It is colloquially known as the "Squirrel Party", referencing its logo.
The Social Democratic Party is a centre-left political party in Estonia. It is currently led by Lauri Läänemets. The party was formerly known as the Moderate People's Party. The SDE has been a member of the Party of European Socialists since 16 May 2003 and was a member of the Socialist International from November 1990 to 2017. It is orientated towards the principles of social-democracy, and it supports Estonia's membership in the European Union. From April 2023, the party has been a junior coalition partner in the third Kallas government.
Jüri Ratas is an Estonian politician who served as the prime minister of Estonia from 2016 to 2021 and as the leader of the Centre Party from 2016 to 2023, and the mayor of Tallinn from 2005 to 2007. Ratas was a member of the Centre Party until switching to Isamaa in 2024.
Isamaa is a Christian-democratic and national-conservative political party in Estonia.
Kristen Michal is an Estonian politician. A member of the Estonian Reform Party, he was the minister of economic affairs and infrastructure in Taavi Rõivas' cabinet between 9 April 2015 and 22 November 2016. Previously, Michal served as the minister of justice from 2011 to 2012.
Margus Tsahkna is an Estonian politician, leader of new liberal Estonia 200 party since 19 November 2023, former leader of the conservative Isamaa party, former Minister of Defence in Jüri Ratas' cabinet and Minister of Social Protection in Taavi Rõivas' second cabinet. He was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the third cabinet of Kaja Kallas on 17 April 2023.
Taavi Rõivas is an Estonian politician, former Prime Minister of Estonia from 2014 to 2016 and former leader of the Reform Party. Before his term as the Prime Minister, Rõivas was the Minister of Social Affairs from 2012 to 2014. On 9 November 2016 his second cabinet dissolved after coalition partners, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica and Social Democratic Party, sided with the opposition in a no confidence motion. At the end of 2020, Rõivas announced quitting politics, and resigned from his parliament seat.
Kaja Kallas is an Estonian politician and the current prime minister of Estonia since 2021, the first woman to serve in the role. The leader of the Reform Party since 2018, she was a member of parliament (Riigikogu) in 2011–2014, and 2019–2021. Kallas was a member of the European Parliament in 2014–2018, representing the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. Before her election to Riigikogu, she was a lawyer specialising in European competition law.
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 3 March 2019. The newly elected 101 members of the 14th Riigikogu assembled at Toompea Castle in Tallinn within ten days of the election. The Reform Party remained the largest party, gaining four seats for a total of 34 and the Conservative People's Party had the largest gain overall, increasing their seat count by 12 to a total of 19 seats.
Riina Sikkut is an Estonian politician. She serves as Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure in the second cabinet of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. She also served as Minister of Health and Labour in Jüri Ratas' first cabinet. She was sworn in on 2 May 2018, after the former minister Jevgeni Ossinovski had vacated the seat, and left the office on 29 April 2019.
Estonia 200 is a liberal political party in Estonia. Since April 2023, the party has been a junior partner in the third Kallas government. In the European Parliament, the party is a member of the Renew Europe group.
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 5 March 2023 to elect all 101 members of the Riigikogu. The officially published election data indicate the victory of the Reform Party, which won 37 seats in total, while the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) placed second with 17 seats. The Centre Party won 16 seats, a loss of 10, while Estonia 200 won 14 seats, gaining representation in the Riigikogu.
Kalle Laanet is Estonian politician and police officer. He is member of XIV Riigikogu. Since 2014 he belongs to Estonian Reform Party. He has served as Minister of Justice since 2023.
Kristina Kallas is an Estonian politician who was the leader of the Eesti 200 party. She is not related to Kaja Kallas, the current Prime Minister of Estonia.
Heidy Purga is an Estonian radio and television presenter, television director, journalist and politician. She has been a member of the XIII Riigikogu and XIV Riigikogu.
Mart Võrklaev is an Estonian politician currently serving as Minister of Finance since 2023 and as a member of XIV Riigikogu.
Kaja Kallas's first cabinet was the Cabinet of Estonia between 26 January 2021 and 14 July 2022. It was a grand coalition cabinet of the Reform Party and the Centre Party until 3 June 2022 when Kallas dismissed Centre Party ministers from government after several weeks of disputes between the two parties.
The second cabinet of Kaja Kallas, was the cabinet of Estonia from 18 July 2022 until 17 April 2023 when it was succeeded by the third Kallas cabinet following the 2023 election.
Events in the year 2023 in Estonia.
Triple Alliance is a commonly used political term in Estonia to refer to the various coalition governments between the centre-left Social Democratic Party, centre-right Reform Party and conservative Isamaa or their predecessors. This coalition has formed four times in history - from 1999 to 2002, from 2007 to 2009, from 2015 to 2016 and from 2022 to 2023. None of the coalitions governments have lasted a full parliamentary term. All of the Triple Alliance cabinets have been the second ones of the respective Prime Minister.