Estonia: PM Kaja Kallas resigns after over three years in office

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has submitted her resignation to President Alar Karis, ERR reports. Kallas will also resign from her post as chairperson of the Estonian Reform Party. Earlier, she was nominated as the EU’s foreign policy chief. Kallas will remain acting head of the government until the new coalition is sworn into office, which is expected to happen in early August 2024. Reflecting on her time as prime minister since January 2021, Kallas noted the various crises that her three consecutive governments had to tackle: the coronavirus pandemic, the energy crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the economic downturn. She said that major achievements included the transition to Estonian-language school education, strengthening national defence, and streamlining state administration. As for failures, Kallas said that there were episodes she regretted, but that it was too early to discuss them at this point.