Reform had two deputy mayors in Tallinn, since the coalition with the Social Democrats (SDE), Eesti 200 and Isamaa entered office in April 2024. The party's two Tallinn district elders will be replaced by administrative secretaries on a temporary basis.

As a coalition with a minority at the 79-seat Tallinn city council and with the local elections less than three months away, the capital's government in the capital is not setting major tasks for itself.

Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus (SDE) said that discussions lie ahead with the remaining parties in the coalition, Isamaa and Eesti 200, on how to proceed.

"Most probably we will not appoint new deputy mayors to those positions, but will divide them among the existing members of the city government. How exactly – this we have not discussed yet," Lippus said.

Agreements will still need to be reached on the remaining significant draft bills, Lippus noted, listing these as the capital's budgetary strategy and its second supplementary budget for this year.

Reform Party Tallinn district board member and Riigikogu MP Õnne Pillak said her party will submit its own proposals to the supplementary budget, from opposition, and this includes hiking kindergarten teachers' wages.

As for scrapping kindergarten fees, the Reform Party policy at the heart of the coalition rift and eventual departure of her party from city government, Pillak said this cannot go ahead between now and October.

The Tallinn city government dismissed the district governors from the Reform Party

A city government meeting held on Wednesday saw Reform Party district elders Sander Andla (Kesklinn) and Doris Raudsepp (Pirita) released from office, as a formality following their party leaving the coalition.

Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) thanked the pair for their work, noting "important reforms have been carried out in cooperation with them to improve the efficiency of services offered to people, and it has also been possible to reduce the number of officials and save taxpayers' money," during their time in the roles.

To ensure continuity in day-to-day district management, non-political temporary replacements have been appointed until new district governors are found. These are administrative secretary Jannu Kuusik (Kesklinn) and administrative secretary Leeles Lilleorg (Pirita).

Former deputy mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere resigned on Monday, one day before Reform left the Tallinn coalition and following the defeat of the vote on axing kindergarten fees in the capital.

Pere's official powers ended on Wednesday and those responsibilities will be taken on via a separate decision from the mayor.

The other Reform Party deputy mayor, Viljar Jaamu, who holds the city property portfolio, is expected to tender his resignation in the next few days, and remains in the post until then.

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