Ossinovski pointed to state bureaucracy as a broader issue.

"While there is talk of stemming the tide of bureaucracy, Tallinn as a city also runs up against state-level red tape. For example, when we merged Tallinn's hospitals into a single joint-stock company — AS Tallinn Hospital — to form a unified organization that would allow us to centralize IT, HR, investment management and so on, which does actually produce real savings, we asked the Competition Authority whether we really needed to file a merger notice, since all the hospitals are owned by the city and don't compete with each other. But we were told that we still had to initiate proceedings. So we did. The process dragged on for several months and eventually they concluded, yes, it's true, this isn't a merger. But all of that took someone's actual working hours," Ossinovski said.

In the ministries where he has worked, Ossinovski said he doesn't see much room for layoffs at the ministerial level.

"I wouldn't want to speak for every ministry, but it's true that some functions are worth letting go. We don't need to do everything all the time and there's definitely room to improve efficiency in processes. Maybe not every ministry needs to approve every legal act with long, five-page letters — those are also hours of someone's labor," he said.

"And when we look at bureaucracy directed at businesses, I don't think it's excessive across the board, but in some sectors — like agriculture — it's still very heavy," Ossinovski added.

After becoming mayor of Tallinn, Ossinovski cut one-quarter of the city's 1,200 civil servants.

SDE would not rejoin government under current PM

"Of course, to work together, one must be pragmatic and capable of reaching agreements. But the human aspect also plays its part, so I simply don't see it as very likely," Ossinovski said, commenting on the theoretical prospect of SDE being invited to rejoin the government.

"Although I believe that sending us away was a major mistake — and not because we want to be in the government, but because it was an act against his (Prime Minister Kristen Michal's – ed.) own interests, the consequences of which he is now seeing. However, I can't completely rule out that Estonia might get a new prime minister, in which case the Social Democrats would have to seriously consider joining the government," Ossinovski added.

On March 10, the Reform Party and Estonia 200 announced their decision to continue governing without the Social Democratic Party.

When asked whether he plans to run for chair of the Social Democrats, Ossinovski replied that he does not.

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