No one is dignified in their agony, as Jürgen Ligi once wisely said. I'm embarrassed to watch the waves of angry outbursts rolling out from Stenbock House across Estonia, hurled by the still-sitting prime minister toward Isamaa and its decision regarding the Tallinn coalition. Let me remind the prime minister of a few things.

As recently as June 17, 2025, Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Vikerraadio in an interview that he would not interfere in Tallinn's governance from the level of the national government.

Furthermore, an ERR news report from that interview quoted him as follows: "Asked whether, as a citizen, he wants to see a city government in Tallinn that includes the Center Party, Michal replied that after the next elections, it will be quite clear that Center is a party everyone will be looking to work with. 'After the next elections, I find it quite likely that coalition talks will be held with everyone. Whether one partner is a first choice or second — that's for the local level to decide, not for me,' said Michal."

At the end of June 2025, Pärtel-Peeter Pere, head of the Reform Party's Tallinn branch, said fatalistically that cooperation with the Center Party was inevitable. The Reform Party invited businessman Urmas Sõõrumaa to be the mayoral candidate for the coalition they were forming. Sõõrumaa, in good faith, accepted and trusted Michal's assurances at the time. Incidentally, Sõõrumaa called me on Tuesday and confirmed that Isamaa's current decision was both correct and understandable and offered several suggestions on city governance issues.

When Michal's summer gamble failed, he panicked and ruled out any cooperation with either the Center Party or EKRE on behalf of the Reform Party. As a side note, in Põltsamaa, a coalition is currently being formed that includes Reform, EKRE, Center, a local electoral alliance and Isamaa.

The Social Democrats have also been producing plenty of lofty rhetoric about values, despite the fact that in Pärnu they support an EKRE politician as the likely next mayor and in Narva they're forming a governing coalition led by a member of the SDE board — together with Mihhail Stalnuhhin.

I can understand the Social Democrats' personal disappointment, but the prime minister's panic is a leadership risk for the country. One source told me that last week, in a cabinet meeting, the prime minister reportedly announced that he doesn't want to see a single controversial political bill submitted before the elections. I don't know what triggered that — perhaps Eesti 200's online casino initiative or the interior ministry's recent brainstorming — but the broader message is clear: the state is being put on pause because the Reform Party is politically sinking.

A Reform Party source told me, half-jokingly, that on Monday morning the prime minister told the party's parliamentary group that responsibility for the so-called generals' report should be pinned on Urmas Reinsalu and Riho Terras.

The prime minister has given up on governing and is now focused solely on political scheming. In resignation, he is allowing the approval of a national budget strategy that will plunge Estonia into its deepest and longest-lasting deficit ever. This will become a structural problem by 2027.

Wednesday morning brought a new low point in the government coalition's credibility. Looking at this political agony, I will repeat my well-intentioned advice to the prime minister: resign.

You cannot toy with the country in this manner. Two weeks ago, the prime minister said that, to him, responsibility means carrying on as before. The one who had to step down instead was the poor party secretary general, Timo Suslov, a name most Estonians don't even know. No, Mr. Prime Minister — the people expressed no-confidence in your policies at the elections, not Suslov's.

Get a grip, Mr. Prime Minister.

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