Michal made his remarks amid an ongoing rift in the capital's government, between his party and its partners, SDE, Isamaa and Eesti 200, ostensibly over scrapping kindergarten fees.

Speaking to ETV's "Esimene stuudio," Michal said: "It seems to me that the problem in Tallinn really begins with the mayor's ability to hold the team together. You don't see the prime minister – at least not me – going around editorial offices complaining that I can't perform my job or can't lead because [someone] is stopping me, or that I can't hold my team together. Where needed, coalition partners can even be replaced."

He added Ossinovski "should make an effort to ensure that all coalition partners are involved in this team."

Asked whether Reform might form a coalition with the Centre Party in Tallinn before the local elections, Michal avoided a direct yes or no, instead saying there were no such plans at the national level.

Pressed further, Michal responded: "Such an illusion mainly exists in the minds of Social Democrats or Isamaa spin doctors."

Tralla asked again, but Michal shifted focus: "Does anyone get the impression that we share similar views with the Center Party or Mihhail Kõlvart on key issues? Rail Baltica… Estonian-language education… the Moscow church… the constitutional amendment… Does this seem like something we'd agree on? No… This government is functioning well… until 2027."

He concluded: "Nobody is asking me for permission for that plan. But, nationally, there will definitely be no changes… this government will continue until the 2027 elections."

On the source of the current Tallinn split, the prime minister said: "It's fair to say that the Reform Party is definitely demanding on what concerns kindergarten fees. I certainly believe that for families with children, fulfilling this promise is probably more important than Jevgeni Ossinovski's feelings or [Isamaa deputy mayor] Kristjan Järvan's line of reasoning."

Michal said early education should be free like primary and higher education: "This can be achieved by making cuts elsewhere… Tallinn is a very wealthy municipality." He added he could find funds "in half a day, starting with the mayor's advisors," whom he claimed outnumber his own staff.

He also said: "It definitely would have been better if this had been clear from the beginning and the mayor had managed to unify the team, instead of a situation where one person builds bike paths and the other puts up traffic signs."

Though agreement on kindergarten fees is close, Michal added: "I don't have to praise the mayor for what isn't there… There is definitely no teamwork in the Tallinn city government."

The current rift began when the Reform Party unilaterally proposed abolishing kindergarten fees – shortly before the Center Party made a similar announcement – raising suspicions of collusion and sidelining of coalition partners SDE, Isamaa, and Eesti 200.

Reform deputy mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere later said the party could "reluctantly" wait until next month to pass the change, which was formally proposed today, Thursday, the same day the Tallinn supplementary budget is to be voted on.

Local elections are scheduled for October 19.

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