Estonia's Center Party weighs no-confidence vote against PM Michal

Estonia's opposition Center Party has begun consultations with other parliamentary parties on a possible no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Kristen Michal of the Reform Party. Center's Riigikogu faction leader, Lauri Laats, said Michal no longer holds the trust of the public and that his minority government cannot count on securing a majority in upcoming votes.

Laats said Estonia needs a government capable of governing and taking responsibility, which is why Center is starting consultations on a no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

Defense minister's resignation

On Wednesday, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, also of the Reform Party, announced his resignation following questions over a procurement of artillery shells for Ukraine from an Indian company. Laats said this resignation alone does not make up for the situation, arguing the head of government must also bear political responsibility.

According to Laats, the problems are no longer confined to a single minister or policy area. When difficulties keep surfacing across one field after another, he said, it points to a failure in the management of the government as a whole, and a minister's resignation does not absolve the prime minister of responsibility.

Criticism over defense management and taxes

Laats said the management of national defense is in a troubling state, which is particularly concerning given that some defense spending is funded through higher taxes. He noted that for years, citizens and businesses have been asked to contribute more toward national security, yet serious, long-unresolved problems in defense management have now come to light.

The Center Party representative also said the Reform Party has led the government for years, during which the national debt has grown, problems have accumulated in healthcare, and now serious issues have emerged in defense — an area the government calls its top priority.

A no-confidence motion requires at least 21 MPs' signatures to be put to a vote in the Riigikogu. Center currently holds seven seats. Together with Isamaa and EKRE, Center has recently called for snap elections ahead of the regularly scheduled March 2027 Riigikogu election. One of the most significant upcoming votes in parliament will concern the 2027 state budget.