Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced her resignation Monday to assume the role of the European Union’s foreign policy chief later this year, following her selection by EU leaders.
Kallas submitted her official resignation to President Alar Karis in a short meeting Monday at the Presidential Palace in Tallinn.
She has urged Estonia’s NATO and EU allies to offer unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight against Moscow’s invading forces.
Under the leadership of Kallas, 47, Estonia has been one of Europe’s strongest advocates for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Kallas’ resignation resulted in the immediate departure of her three-party coalition Cabinet, which includes the center-right Reform Party, the Social Democratic Party and the liberal Estonia 200 party.
Her Cabinet will act as a caretaker government until a new one is established, likely in early August. In her final Cabinet meeting Monday, Kallas emphasized her administration’s efforts to enhance Estonia’s security as a NATO member bordering Russia.
“We have invested more in national defense than ever before and increased the annual defense budget to 1.4 billion euros [about $1.5 billion], which is 3% of GDP,” Kallas said.
She added that, “these decisions help to ensure that Estonia is firmly protected and a safe place to live.”
In late June, the Reform Party announced that it had selected Climate Minister Kristen Michal as its candidate to succeed Kallas as prime minister. Reform’s victory in the 2023 general election solidified its mandate for the position.
Michal’s appointment as Estonia’s prime minister requires approval from President Karis and the 101-seat parliament, known as the Riigikogu, where the coalition has a strong majority. The Reform Party is set to elect its new leader on September 8.
