Estonian PM Michal: Opposition is panicking as its 'catastrophe narrative' no longer holds up
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said opposition calls for early elections show panic, as their narrative of a poor economy is no longer supported by facts. Isamaa, EKRE and Center are pushing for a no-confidence vote against the minority government.
Estonian Prime Minister and Reform Party chairman Kristen Michal has said that opposition calls for early elections reflect panic, since the negative economic narrative these parties have relied on no longer matches reality.
On Saturday, Isamaa, the largest opposition party, issued a statement calling for a vote of no confidence in the Reform-Eesti 200 minority government and for new elections to be held. EKRE and the Center Party made similar remarks earlier in the week. The next Riigikogu elections are scheduled for March 2027.
Writing on social media, Michal said the opposition's story about a weak economy no longer holds up, and that the parties are in a hurry because the narrative of an economic crisis will not survive until election time. He argued the claims have already been publicly refuted with facts by Statistics Estonia.
Economic indicators
The prime minister stressed that the economy has grown continuously throughout his time in office, with wage growth considerably outpacing price growth. He also dismissed the opposition's negative messaging on the energy sector, noting that in June and July Finland had the cheapest electricity exchange price in the European Union, with Estonia coming second. He added that price increases driven by the shock of the war and global economic trends are easing, and that in July Estonia recorded the lowest price growth in the EU.
Presidential election
Michal further claimed the opposition has lost momentum ahead of next week's presidential election: EKRE is not taking part, Isamaa is struggling to stay united, and the Center Party wants to unconstitutionally bar MPs from electing the president.
According to Michal, the opposition's nervousness is not due to the country faring poorly — Estonia has in fact performed considerably better over the past two years than earlier expected. He said the joint strategy of EKRE, Isamaa and Center rests on portraying the state and its people as struggling, but as the economy improves and confidence grows, the opposition loses its political fuel.
