Riina Solman, head of Isamaa's Tallinn branch, said the party's decision to begin coalition talks with the Center Party was driven by the need to ensure stable city governance.

"We want Tallinn to serve as a counterbalance to the leadership chaos happening at the national level. Isamaa's broader goal is for Tallinn to be Estonian-speaking and rooted in Estonian values. The transition to Estonian-language education will continue at the current pace, but with greater support, helping bring young city residents more fully into the Estonian-language information space," Solman said.

Center head: The party did not dream of ruling Tallinn alone

According to Center Party chair Mihhail Kõlvart, coalition talks are beginning in a positive atmosphere.

"Today, we're approaching this from the perspective that Center and Isamaa are the most popular parties, not only in Tallinn but across Estonia," Kõlvart said, adding that people are also seeking change at the national level. "That's a kind of advance vote of confidence ahead of the next Riigikogu elections. Real change can only come when national policy changes as well. Tallinn offers a major platform for that."

"The Center Party's goal is an effective, stable and humane city government," he said.

Kõlvart rejected the claim that voters in Tallinn signaled they no longer wanted the Center Party in power. "The election showed that voters want the Center Party to return. We never dreamed of governing alone. Even if we had 40 seats, we'd still want a partner," he said.

Kõlvart also argued that the post-election fearmongering about the Center Party and its voters was undemocratic. He emphasized that the party only entered negotiations with Isamaa and had no agreement in place with EKRE before election day. "We had no deal with EKRE, but the way people were frightened with that coalition was not normal," Kõlvart said.

He added that the Center Party's priority is delivering on its promises, not political appointments.

Kõlvart acknowledged that there are certainly ideological differences with Isamaa, but said the two parties share common ground on public transportation, traffic management, municipal services and social policy.

Reinsalu: Four-way coalition not viable

Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu admitted that voters handed the party a very difficult puzzle to solve. He noted that the previous four-party coalition proved unworkable and the same risk applied to forming a new four-party alliance.

"We found more conflicting positions in what was supposed to be our common ground than we had in the previous four-party coalition. Even in that earlier coalition, there were more internal tensions than met the eye," Reinsalu said.

He questioned what, exactly, would have been stripped away from those disagreements and whether the result would have amounted to there being nothing left.

"A four-party coalition wouldn't have functioned well enough. It wouldn't have lasted four years," Reinsalu said.

He added that Isamaa had seriously considered staying in opposition. "We felt that would have been the worst outcome. It would have been a cop-out. It would have meant prolonged leadership chaos," he said.

Reinsalu said Isamaa's decision to begin cooperating with the Center Party was made by consensus. "We're approaching this in good faith, believing we can find pragmatic common ground in city governance," he said.

Speaking on values-based policy, Reinsalu acknowledged that both parties would need to make an effort in that area.

Responding to claims that Isamaa's decision to side with the Center Party was influenced by major party donor, businessman Parvel Pruunsild, Reinsalu dismissed it as political spin. "Isamaa made this decision by consensus. And of course, the aim of that spin is to undermine us as a political force," he said.

"On the contrary — Parvel Pruunsild's influence in Estonian politics shouldn't be demonized. If I look at, for example, Martin Villig and his influence on Estonian parties, that's practically on a European scale. I'd remind you of his impact on both language policy and an EU directive. So let's keep this talk about business influence in politics calm, Mr. Ossinovski," said Reinsalu.

Reinsalu said Isamaa expects the new city government to focus on economic growth, improving people's well-being and accelerating the transition to Estonian-language education.

He also said the city has become overly politicized in matters of everyday governance. "Politics has become a factor in tram lines, trash bins and park benches — that's not normal," he said.

"We believe that with two coalition partners, we can find practical common ground to improve public services on a functional level," Reinsalu added.

Reinsalu also said Isamaa would nominate a mayoral candidate from outside the party and that the right person would be found step by step.

"We're asking for time. We need to learn from past mistakes. We saw how comical the process became with Mr. Sõõrumaa. We've agreed that this candidate won't have a political background. Isamaa didn't run in this election just to parachute someone in from within the political sphere," he said.

Lauri Laats, head of the Center Party's Riigikogu group and a member of its negotiating team, added that voters want to see Isamaa and Center working together both locally and nationally.

"The Tallinn elections showed that the four-party alliance failed to meet residents' expectations and hopes," he said.

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