Isamaa and EKRE shut out electoral alliance, ink four-year deal in Viljandi
Viljandi's leading local parties, Isamaa and EKRE, signed a four-year coalition agreement Thursday, giving them a slim majority in the 27-seat city council.
The city's mayoral candidate is former Viljandi Museum director Jaak Pihlak (Isamaa), with deputy mayors Silvia Takkel from the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) and Anett Suits from Isamaa. The coalition's candidate for Viljandi City Council chair is Isamaa MP Helir-Valdor Seeder.
The new coalition aims to stabilize city governance while reversing several previous decisions.
Seeder outlined key projects, including whether and where to build a new kindergarten, the future of the old sports center, support for Viljandi Kaare School, the city's school for children with special educational needs, and preparations for the planned new lakefront spa hotel, which would require changes to public transport and investments in streets and a parking lot.
Takkel also highlighted the coalition's main promises, including plans to eliminate paid parking and maintain the city's wrestling center in its current location.
"And third, what we had listed as a main promise is raising the child birth grant, which is currently €700 in Viljandi," she said, noting that EKRE campaigned on the promise to raise that one-time payment to €1,500. "That's also a very important issue for us, and it's also included in the coalition agreement."
The two-party coalition, holding 14 of the 27 seats in Viljandi City Council, leaves the electoral alliance Südamega Viljandis with nine seats and the Reform Party with four in opposition.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
