Estonian Education Minister's Adviser Leaves Eesti 200 for the Social Democrats
Daniel Kõiv, 22, a longtime adviser to Estonia's Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas, is joining the Social Democratic Party and plans to run in Tartu in the Riigikogu election. Eesti 200 is meanwhile debating its own path, as polls suggest it may miss the parliamentary threshold.
Daniel Kõiv, a longtime adviser to Kristina Kallas, who chairs the Estonian party Eesti 200 and serves as Estonia's Minister of Education and Research, is leaving the party and joining the Social Democratic Party. He intends to run in the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament, election on the Social Democrats' list in Tartu. The news portal ERR.ee of Estonia's public broadcaster reported it on Saturday, 17 October. The move matters because Eesti 200 is already weighing whether to contest the next election, and polls show it risks failing to enter parliament.
Who Kõiv is
Kõiv, 22, is a member of the Tartu city council, where he substitutes for Kallas herself, and he studies public sciences at the University of Tartu. He will finish his work as the minister's adviser on 25 October, at his own request.
According to the Commercial Register, he left Eesti 200 on 17 October. He had joined the party in November 2021 and sat on its board from October 2024 to April 2026.
Reason for the switch
Kõiv explained his decision by a wish to oppose conservative political forces. In his words, Estonia faces a fundamental choice next spring: to develop as a future-oriented Nordic society, or to return to politics that ignores the needs of young people, restricts personal freedoms and turns away from the climate crisis.
Social Democratic list and the future of Eesti 200
Others who have earlier announced they will run on the Social Democrats' list include Aleksei Yashin, former Deputy Mayor of Tallinn for education, Maksim Iljin, mayor of Narva-Jõesuu, and Kadri Simson, a former European Commissioner.
Inside Eesti 200, members are discussing whether the party should run on its own, merge with another political force or take a pause. Several members have already announced they are leaving politics or have quit the party. The party's further plans are due to become clear on Sunday at a meeting of its council of delegates. Recent polls indicate Eesti 200 may not make it into the new Riigikogu, which will be elected on 7 March. At the time of writing, the party had 548 members.
