Party leader: Reform has gone over to the dark side in Tallinn
Urmas Sõõrumaa's nomination as the Reform Party's candidate for mayor is seen as a sign of the party's weakness, sparking discontent even within its own ranks.
Longtime Reform Party member Rein Lang considers Urmas Sõõrumaa a capable leader who could make an excellent mayor. However, Lang said he finds it hard to believe the party's decision to nominate Sõõrumaa as its candidate. In his view, it will be difficult to explain to voters how a businessman whose commercial interests are deeply intertwined with the city of Tallinn is expected to lead it.
"I'm honestly ashamed of my party in Tallinn. This is not how things are done in a civilized country, and it will certainly impact the party's future and its ability to form agreements. What's happening now is clearly not a democratic process — it's more like a sandbox game. To stage this kind of circus with contrived reasons just to replace the mayor before the elections... Well, does that really make much sense? Regrettably, I have to say, this looks very bad," Lang said.
Urmo Soonvald, editor-in-chief of Eesti Päevaleht and Delfi, also commented that it would be a major embarrassment for the party not to find a candidate for such an important position from within its own ranks.
"As far as I've seen — based on conversations with Reform Party politicians, colleagues and public opinion polls — I don't see any major interest group backing Urmas Sõõrumaa's candidacy. All the strings seem to lead to Toompea, whether to the Stenbock House or the Reform Party headquarters. But this choice is extremely strange," Soonvald said.
Reform Party chair and Prime Minister Kristen Michal declined to comment on the matter.
Lavly Perling, the former prosecutor general and current leader of the Parempoolsed party, described Sõõrumaa as a panic-driven pick whose appointment would reduce transparency in city governance.
"In my opinion, the Reform Party has shifted in Tallinn from the forces of light to the forces of darkness, and that means transparency in leadership will disappear. Voters above all should take note of that. I still believe all of Estonia's law enforcement agencies are doing good work — they will surely take note as well," Perling said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Marko Tooming
