Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas resigned today after being selected to become the European Union’s next foreign policy chief. Kallas, who has led Estonia since 2021, submitted her resignation letter to the president but will continue in her role until a new government is formed.
“This has been a very challenging period,” Kallas, Estonia’s first female prime minister, told Estonian public radio in an interview on Monday, reflecting on her time in office. “I began during the peak of the Covid crisis and was likely the only prime minister who, immediately after being sworn in, attended a government meeting and started making critical decisions,” she said.
Kallas is also expected to step down as the leader of the Reform Party later this summer.
A staunch critic of Russia, Kallas was nominated last month as the EU’s next top diplomat, though her appointment still requires a vote in the European Parliament.
The ruling coalition, consisting of the Reform Party, Social Democrats, and Estonia 200, is currently negotiating the formation of a new government. The Reform Party has proposed the current climate minister, Kristen Michal, as their candidate for prime minister. Estonian President Alar Karis will now hold discussions with the parties to decide on Kallas’ successor.
