Coalition Government of Reform Party and Center Party Took Office
On January 26, the new Estonian government took office, led by the head of the Reform Party, Kaja Kallas, as Prime Minister. In addition to the Prime Minister, there are 14 ministers in the government and the Reform and Centre Parties have seven portfolios each. The new government has a higher proportion of women, and Estonia is currently unique in the world in that both of the country’s main elected positions of president and prime minister are held by women.
Post of Minister of Population Abolished
The post of Minister of Population, which in the previous government was held by Riina Solman, is not considered necessary by the Reform Party and no longer exists in the new government. Ongoing topics related to global Estonians will now be transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
President Kaljulaid Withdraws OECD Candidacy
President Kersti Kaljulaid has withdrawn her candidacy for the position of Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), her office reported on January 26. The move paves the way for a potential second term for Kaljulaid as president. The next presidential election process starts in August, with the new Reform-Center coalition saying it has no united presidential candidate in mind as of yet. The opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE) has declared its support for her reelection to a second term.
Estonian Actor Pääru Oja in Netflix’s “Vikings: Valhalla”
Netflix has unveiled the cast for “Vikings: Valhalla,” the streaming service’s upcoming historical action-drama series, which is the sequel to its series “Vikings”. Estonian actor Pääru Oja’s character Arne Gormsson appears in ten of the 24 parts of the series.
