Sawt Falasteen - Estonian government in crisis as coalition crumbles

Kallas spoke to reporters after President Alar Karis accepted her request for ministers from the Centre party, including Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets, to be removed from the government.

The dismissal of the Centre party follows weeks of political deadlock, including a vote on an education bill in which the coalition partner voted against the government and with the far-right EKRE opposition instead.

"It's honest to say that this agreement is over and we're going to form a new coalition," Kallas said.

Kallas's Reform party has proposed to begin coalition talks with the right-wing Isamaa conservatives and the Social Democrats.

The Centre and Reform parties have alternated in government over the nearly three decades since Estonia broke free from the crumbling Soviet Union.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has spooked the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are all EU and NATO members.

Kallas said she hoped the conflict "would have opened the eyes of all the parliamentary parties to the importance of a common understanding of the threats for us as a country neighbouring Russia".

In a Facebook post, she said Estonia's future would be secured not just by increased military spending but also "the unity of our people and the unwavering will to defend our independence".

Until a new coalition is formed, the ministers who remain in the cabinet will take over the roles of those who have been dismissed.

If talks fall through, the government would collapse and new elections would have to be held.

T.Ibrahim--SF-PST