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Estonia’s PM Kallas resigns, government says

Kaja Kallas has held the prime minister’s post for the past 18 months

VILNIUS, July 14. /TASS/. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has decided to resign, the republic’s government said in a statement on Thursday.

"Prime Minister Kaja Kallas officially informed the government of her decision to resign of her own accord, with the entire government resigning with the Prime Minister," the Estonian government said on its website.

Kallas also proposed convening an extraordinary parliament meeting where she would ask lawmakers for a mandate to form a new coalition government from Isaama and the Social Democratic Party.

Kallas has held the prime minister’s post for the past 18 months which she said was a difficult time, with the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions over the situation in Ukraine. She also pledged to inform the country’s president, Alar Karis, of her decision to quit.

The premier raised the possibility of resigning amid a crisis faced by the ruling coalition back last week. In early June, the Estonian president dismissed the heads of the foreign and interior ministries and five other ministers who were members of the Center Party. The ruling coalition split over a bill endorsed by the government on primary education in Estonian.

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