Kaja Kallas appointed Estonia’s first female Prime Minister
Tallinn … News Time
Kaja Kallas will become the country’s first female prime minister after the Liberal Reform Party and the Center Party agreed to form a new ruling coalition in the Baltic state of Estonia yesterday. This is a new development since the fall of the previous government on January 13 due to a corruption scandal. Kaja Kallas is the leader of the Liberal Reform Party. She will take over as prime minister after an agreement is reached with the left-wing Center Party to form a coalition government. “We will form a government that will work effectively to resolve the Code 19 crisis, move Estonia forward and develop all sectors and regions of the country,” the two parties said in a joint statement. Under the agreement, gender equality will be taken care of in the cabinet and the 14-member ministry will be divided equally between the two parties. According to Estonia’s state broadcaster ERR, Kaja Kallas told the media, “The idea behind the structure of the ministry in my government is to create a balance between men and women and between the experienced and the new.” A beautiful balance must be struck. Although a coalition government has been agreed upon, it will still need parliamentary approval. It will then have to be ratified by Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid. The new coalition government is expected to take office on Tuesday, according to the ERR.
Who is Kaja Kallas?
Kaja Kallas, 43, is a lawyer by profession. She was a member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2018. As a member of the European Parliament, he focused on energy and digital policies. His father, Siim Kallas, is one of the founders of the Estonian Reform Party. He has been the Prime Minister of the country and has also served as the Commissioner of the European Union. Kaja Kalas took over the reins of the Reform Party in 2018 and was elected the party’s first female leader. His party did worse than expected from opinion polls, which saw them at gaining about a third of the support.
Why did the previous government resign?
Former Prime Minister Juri Ratas had to resign in mid-January over allegations of corruption against a senior member of his Center party. According to the Associated Press, the official is accused of receiving a private donation to the party in exchange for political support for a real estate project in the capital, Tallinn. Estonia is a small country. It has a population of 1.3 million. The next general election is scheduled for March 2023.
