The Estonian opposition and mainstream media demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on Friday after revelations that a company partly controlled by her husband is still operating in Russia.
The Estonian Center Party announced that it will start talks on a motion of censure against Kallas, while another opposition formation, the conservative Isamaa (Fatherland) Party, stressed that the prime minister “has no choice but to resign immediately” given the fact that that this scandal caused “significant damage to Estonia’s interests and reputation”.
Public broadcaster ERR reported on Wednesday that transport company Stark Logistics, which is partly owned by Kallas’ husband Arvo Hallik, continued to make deliveries to Russia after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
In a statement released the same day, Stark Logistics said it had only one Estonian customer, Metaprint, which is currently in the process of closing its factory in Russia, and that Stark Logistics was making deliveries to help with that closure.
Following these revelations, Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia since 2021, assured the social network Facebook that all trade with Russia “must stop as long as the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine continues”.
The minister also underlined that her husband’s company helped one of his Estonian clients in Russia “in accordance with the laws and sanctions imposed”.
Arvo Hallik today apologized “for the situation and the harm caused” to the woman, adding that he will “immediately sell” his shares in Stark Logistics and withdraw from the company.
Hallik also assured that his wife was “unaware” of his professional activities.
In addition to the opposition, Estonia’s main media also today called for Kallas’ resignation.
The daily Eesti Päevaleht stressed that the prime minister should “hand in her letter of resignation” without it meaning “that she must necessarily leave office”.
As Kallas’ statements were insufficient, the Postimees newspaper for its part “kindly advised the Prime Minister to start packing her bags to leave today and thus avoid even greater embarrassment in the future”.
The government of Kaja Kallas, a coalition between his reformist party, the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and the liberal party Eesti 200, took office on April 17.
The Estonian parliament will resume on September 11.
Source: DN
