MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2023) The Estonian opposition has submitted to the parliament a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Urmas Reinsalu, the leader of the opposition national-conservative Isamaa party, said on Monday.
"It is highly unusual for a motion of no confidence of this nature to be introduced just a few months after a government takes office. However, the prime minister's personal actions and government policies have also been unprecedented," Reinsalu was quoted as saying by Estonian broadcaster ERR.
The draft decision was signed by members of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia, the populist Center Party and Isamaa, the report added.
The opposition's no-confidence motion stated that the government's actions were exacerbating the demographic crisis, while Kallas' statements, which compared the opposition to dictatorial regimes, were unacceptable, the report said. In addition, the opposition noted that the government did not have a mandate to raise taxes and blamed the ruling coalition for trying to exclude parliament from the political process, the broadcaster reported.
"All of this is happening despite the lowest birth rate in a century, a widespread economic downturn, and rising inflation, all of which have considerably reduced families' capacity to make ends meet," the opposition said in a statement quoted by the broadcaster.
The ruling coalition, which includes the Estonian Reform Party, the liberal Estonia 200 party and the Social Democratic Party, intends to increase the turnover tax and personal income tax, as well as introduce a car ownership tax. In addition, the coalition is planning a reduction in family benefits.
The ruling coalition has 60 seats in the 101-seat parliament.
