Estonia's Reform Party confirms Kaja Kallas as chairperson despite calls for resignation
Date
11/19/2023 7:41:06 AM
(MENAFN) On Saturday, Estonia's ruling Reform Party reaffirmed Kaja Kallas as its chairperson, allowing her to continue as the country's leader despite mounting calls from both opposition parties and voters for her resignation. The decision was made during a general meeting held in Tallinn, where Kallas, the only candidate for the party leadership post, secured the support of two-thirds of the 931 delegates who participated in the vote.
A 46-year-old lawyer, Kallas has been at the helm of the Reform Party, Estonia's largest political group, since April 2018. In January 2021, she made history by becoming the country's first female prime minister. Despite facing criticism and calls for her resignation over a scandal involving her husband's business dealings in Russia, Kallas managed to secure the party's backing.
Earlier in the week, Kallas expressed her interest in potentially becoming the next secretary-general of NATO during a foreign policy conference in Washington. The current NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, is set to step down in October 2024 after a decade in the position. Kallas, known for her strong support of Ukraine and vocal criticism of Russia within the European Union and NATO, has positioned herself as a prominent figure on the European stage.
While leading the Reform Party to a resounding victory in Estonia's March general election, Kallas's domestic popularity took a hit in August. Reports revealed that her husband retained shares in a transportation company operating in Russia, contradicting her earlier call for Estonian companies to cease operations in the country following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Despite facing intense scrutiny and President Alar Karis urging her to resign, Kallas has remained steadfast, denying knowledge of the specifics of her husband's business activities in Russia during parliamentary committee hearings. Recent opinion polls indicate that over two-thirds of Estonians believe Kallas should step down, underscoring the challenges she faces in maintaining public trust and political credibility amidst the ongoing scandal.
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