At Thursday's government press conference, Michal said Isamaa is becoming more like the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), dampening the ruling coalition parties' earlier optimism over cooperation potential.

"I would say that my enthusiasm — and I suspect Eesti 200's as well — to see Isamaa's increasingly EKRE-like wing in the government today has cooled significantly," he said.

Michal pointed to EKRE's surprisingly weak performance in last month's local elections as "somewhat symptomatic," but said the real concern is a "completely new shift" within Isamaa.

"The same Kris Kärner," he said, referring to the inflammatory YouTuber and ex-Isamaa candidate who, despite a pre-election call for political violence that led him to part ways with the party, was welcomed back to Isamaa's Tartu City Council group following a surprisingly strong election result last month.

"Everything happening in Tartu — Isamaa has undergone this shift, this EKRE-ization," he continued. "Which I find somewhat alarming."

The Reform chair said he believes Estonia needs a conservative force that isn't extremist. "I think that years ago, I likely would have been an Isamaa voter myself," he acknowledged. "Their conservative economic and fiscal policies would have suited me."

He added that he didn't sense there was any push by Isamaa to restrict people's individual rights either.

"But when I see Isamaa becoming more EKRE-like today, I'd say that Estonian politics has also undergone some polarization," Michal said, asking how Isamaa and EKRE are different.

He criticized the party for failing to take a clear stance on a candidate who questioned women's right to vote. He also highlighted EKRE's recent bill downplaying the Istanbul Convention — the Council of Europe's Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

"Now we need to maintain maximum public pressure on EKRE to keep them isolated," the prime minister said, warning that if Isamaa becomes "EKRE-lite," he would definitely consider cooperation with that EKRE-aligned side problematic.

Tsahkna: Hope we don't end up banning abortions

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said he sees the shifts in Isamaa and the Center Party,  the two parties finally in coalition talks in Tallinn, as political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 Riigikogu elections.

"This is something that, as a progressive and liberal person, I certainly don't want," he said.

Tsahkna described the current situation as preparation to endure short-term pain while absolving the party leader, Isamaa MP Urmas Reinsalu, from responsibility, despite his promises to serve as mayor of the capital.

"It's easier for him to sit back in parliament," he said, adding that they're scouting for a candidate in the city. "We've seen that before, but in reality, the situation is far more complex."

The Eesti 200 minister also cautioned that major national decisions should be left to voters in 2027.

"I really hope that after the 2027 elections we don't actually end up withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, banning abortion or anything else," Tsahkna said, warning that "this is just the prelude."

Isamaa and the Center Party met for coalition talks in Tallinn on Thursday, two and a half weeks after Estonia's 2025 local elections.

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