Analysts: Isamaa's apolitical Tallinn mayor ploy aimed at parliamentary elections
According to political experts, Isamaa and Center Party have begun preparing for parliamentary elections, using the apolitical mayor role to their advantage.
Isamaa will hold the mayor's seat in Tallinn for the first two years, after which it will go to the Center Party.
Isamaa has promised to appoint an apolitical mayor. According to political analyst Tõnis Leht, this decision was made with the upcoming parliamentary elections in mind.
"Choosing an apolitical mayor allows Isamaa to distance itself, if needed, from what's happening in Tallinn and from the Center Party and their cooperation. They can say that any mess that might happen in Tallinn isn't really connected to Isamaa — that it was the apolitical mayor's doing," Leht said.
If things go well, however, the party can still claim credit for the success, he added.
Sociologist Juhan Kivirähk noted that the position could have gone to Urmas Reinsalu who was Isamaa's candidate for mayor.
"Apparently Isamaa doesn't want to tie itself so directly [to the coalition]. And with the parliamentary elections just a year and a half away, Reinsalu probably has other plans than to serve as mayor," Kivirähk said.
According to established convention, the mayoralty traditionally goes to the party in the coalition that won the most votes — in this case, the Center Party. Leht described giving up the mayor's post as a significant concession.
"The Center Party still needs to retain a position of power in Tallinn — Kõlvart and the Center Party urgently need city-funded jobs to keep the party's core group together and to use that base to mount a stronger campaign for the parliamentary elections," said Leht.
Kivirähk added that the Center Party may not end up getting the mayor's post at all — two years is a long time in politics and the Isamaa–Center coalition could be replaced by a four-party alliance. "We don't know what will happen two years from now after the parliamentary elections. Whether this coalition continues or not depends entirely on the election results."
Media speculation has named Tallinn city secretary Kairi Vaher as a possible mayoral candidate, but she told "Aktuaalne kaamera" that no such offer has been made and that she is not interested in becoming mayor. Attorney-at-law and former Justice Chancellor Allar Jõks and entrepreneur Indrek Neivelt — whose names have also been floated — told public broadcaster ERR that the rumors are baseless.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Valner Väino
