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Daily: Kaja Kallas faces dilemma ahead of European Parliament election

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) has to make a key decision next month, daily Postimees reports, between remaining as Estonia's head of government, or becoming lead candidate for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE)/Renew Europe, or in essence the candidate that group proposes as next President of the European Commission.

The prime minister and Reform Party chair will have to make her decision in March, Postimees reports, and is in with a chance of becoming ALDE's lead candidate, or Spitzenkandidat.

"Spitzenkandidat" means "lead candidate," in German, and in an EU context refers to a European political party's lead candidate for the European Commission president – currently Ursula von der Leyen.

"I have weighed the pros and cons," Kallas told the daily, and hinted at what would most likely happen on the domestic front were she to take the ALDE lead candidate position at the group's congress March 20-21, by saying: "If I were to announce that I was going to help these liberals, the Estonian media would immediately push me up against a wall, chorusing 'Bye, bye, see you soon."

Since taking the post would interfere with her work as prime minister it can be assumed, Postimees reports, that they would in effect be mutually exclusive – so in short if she were to take the ALDE/Renew Europe role, she would step down as Estonia's prime minister.

Kallas stressed that being lead candidate for ALDE/Renew Europe would mean coming to their aid in, for instance, four pre-election debates due to take place, but would not bind her into actually running at this year's European Parliament elections.

Kaja Kallas has also been linked in the media to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy post, effectively the EU's foreign minister, currently held by Josep Borrell and which becomes vacant after the election, while Jüri Ratas (Isamaa) several weeks ago tipped her as Estonia's next European Commissioner, once Kadri Simson's (Center) term ends.

While facing strong criticism at home, Kallas has long proven much more popular internationally, thanks to a steady stream of approving articles and interviews appearing on various media outlets.

She sat as an MEP 2014-2019 and returned to take the helm at Reform, becoming prime minister in January 2021. She has warm relations with the current EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

Reform's MEPs sit with the ALDE group, now known as Renew Europe, at the European Parliament – as does Center's MEP Yana, now Jana, Toom.

The European Parliament elections take place June 6-9 (the last of these days is polling day in Estonia itself).

Once these elections have been held, that European party which is able to command a majority governing coalition would likely see its Spitzenkandidat become commission president.

Another body, the European Council, proposes a candidate for the presidency, "taking into account the elections to the European Parliament" and under the expectation that the candidate put forward by the party which wins the most seats will be "first to be considered".

The European Parliament then votes on that candidate, requiring a majority for them to be confirmed as commission president – if this majority is not met, the council proposes a new candidate within one month.

Source: https://news.err.ee/1609255302/daily-kaja-kallas-faces-dilemma-ahead-of-european-parliament-election

Latvian PM: Baltics seeking unified position on Russian elections

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are looking to hold a joint position on the upcoming Russian presidential elections.

The topic of Russian citizens is still on the agenda in Latvia and across the region, Wednesday's "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

Moscow is also demanding that Russian citizens living in the Baltic states participate in its presidential elections at embassies.

Silina said the Baltic states are trying to coordinate their messages.

"We strongly condemn the holding of elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Our position is that the Ukrainian state is a single entity and it is not acceptable that political processes, such as elections, of another state take place there. At the moment, the foreign ministers and ministries of the Baltic states are trying to reach common positions on what is happening regarding elections in Russia," she said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Russian diplomats were summoned to discuss the leaked wanted list which includes Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform), and Latvian and Lithuanian MPs.

Russia did not rule out the existence of the published wanted list. It is assumed politicians have been included in connection to the removal of Soviet-era statues. Four Latvian MPs and several former MPs are on the list.

Latvia already has one experience with Russia's wanted list. Former MP and current EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis narrowly escaped being detained at the request of Russia in Kyrgyzstan.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said officials and politicians need to take care when traveling outside EU and NATO countries.

"I do not rule out that those who do not appear on this list, but were involved in the decisions, are also wanted. I will reiterate what I said in 2022 as Minister of Foreign Affairs and what the case of Valdis Dombrovskis showed. This has now become even more important than it was yesterday – be alert and cautious should you wish to travel outside the European Union and NATO countries."

Source: https://news.err.ee/1609253874/latvian-pm-baltics-seeking-unified-position-on-russian-elections

Expert: MPs disrupting Riigikogu proceedings can be removed by police

If some members of the Riigikogu obstruct MPs from being able to carry out their work, the speaker and police can remove them, said legal scholar Carri Ginter.

Yesterday, several EKRE MPs tried to hold up the work of the parliament during a discussion about car tax by playing loud noises through a speaker.

Ginter said these acts can break the law.

"There is a law on the work and rules of procedure of the Riigikogu, which says that order must prevail in the chamber. It is the responsibility of the Speakers to establish these rules," said Ginter.

"As a citizen, I am embarrassed that understandably frustrated MEPs are trying to find any way to obstruct the work of the Riigikogu and make themselves important. I think that most Estonians do not consider this behavior to be adult behavior," he told Thursday's "Ringvaade".

The situation is far from being over, Ginter believes.

"This is a constitutional debate. If I were the Speaker of the Riigikogu, I would call a meeting with the police, the unit responsible for maintaining order in the Riigikogu, and agree on what would happen the next time something like this happened," said Ginter.

"Imagine if somebody attacks somebody – then nobody would hesitate about the police coming to the rescue at the request of the Speaker. So why are we hesitating now?"

EKRE politicians are blocking the rights of Riigikogu members to do their work, the legal expert said.

"A balance must now be struck – if the destructive actions of one prevent others from exercising their constitutional mandate, then that member of the Riigikogu must be removed from the chamber. Then the court will monitor whether that removal prevented him from exercising his mandate," Ginter said.

"It's not a pleasant task for a policeman, and that is why it needs to be properly thought through, and that is why the Riigikogu has a legal department," he said.

Source: https://news.err.ee/1609254762/expert-mps-disrupting-riigikogu-proceedings-can-be-removed-by-police