Estonian president proposes PM Kallas form new govt after her resignation

TALLINN. July 14 (Interfax) - Estonian President Alar Karis on Thursday received Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who had tendered her resignation earlier in the day, and proposed that she lead a new government, the presidential press service said.

"Before this, President Alar Karis had talked with the leaders of all parliamentary parties to receive a final picture of the domestic policy government lines," it said.

"I am expecting the formation of a government coalition which, despite the summer, will start working immediately and where all ministers will immediately begin politically managing their areas of responsibility," Karis said.

He said he was opposed to using the term 'provisional government' or 'transitional government', because, over the next eight months [before the next parliamentary election], a new coalition would have to steer the country "through several crises, which combine security, the pandemic, the economy, the people's ability to handle the situation, and maintaining the government finances on a solid footing."

Within the next few days, President Karis is to meet with candidates for government ministers from a new coalition to find out their intentions in terms of political management of their purviews.

The Estonian constitution stipulates that the president shall appoint a candidate for prime minister, and the parliament shall empower this candidate to form a government. After that, the president shall appoint a government, and the ministers shall be sworn in before the parliament.