Isamaa representative Kristjan Järvan and Center Party representative Lauri Laats held a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the first agreements in the negotiations.

Järvan said the parties will focus on strengthening the municipal engineering department to ensure that procurements are carried out on time and in accordance with free market principles.

Laats said the city will also remove snow from streets across the city this winter.

"We are building bridges politically, but in Tallinn, we are also building bridges literally," Järvan said. He outlined that several major bridges –Pirita, Vesse, and Pallasti – as well as the Pärnu maantee overpass will be repaired. 

"In an urban environment, these may not add much value, but safety must be ensured, and the bridges must be structurally sound," Laats added.

Järvan said these are extremely large-scale investments. The Pärnu maantee overpass is expected to cost between €40-45 million. "The fact is that these bridges and overpasses have reached the end of their service life and must be repaired," he stated.

Laats said technical assessments have already been carried out and there is a need to restore them.

Increased road construction

Laats said the volume of road construction and maintenance, sidewalks included, will also be boosted. "We are increasing investments to ensure better road conditions and consistent maintenance in all city districts," he said. More attention will also be given to sidewalks.

"We will allocate additional funds so that districts have the resources to resolve day-to-day operational issues, such as minor road repairs, landscaping, and graffiti removal, quickly," said Laats.

The negotiators also promised to focus on repairing roads in the Old Town.

More frequent mowing

"We will restore regular mowing and thoughtful maintenance of green areas. We are talking about proper lawn mowing—not based on ideology but on actual need: if the grass is long, it must be cut, and we must avoid the spread of invasive species," Laats explained. "Mowing must happen when needed," he added.

"Four or five years ago, when the Social Democrats were not yet in the city government, we had marked areas where mowing was done more frequently and where it was done once a year," he recalled.

"In places like Laagna tee, where overgrowth limits visibility and creates traffic hazards, proper mowing is essential," said Järvan. "Meadows near the shoreline, where people do not often go — such as in the Paljassaare area — biodiversity is welcome there," added Järvan.

Focus on animal welfare

The new coalition also pledged to reduce the number of stray animals and to stand up for animal rights to ensure their well-being. "We will build additional dog parks and renovate existing ones," the negotiators added.

"We have had quite a few cases where we find a large number of cats, dogs, or other pets in one apartment. These situations need to be addressed to ensure animals have a dignified living environment," said Laats.

Christmas decorations will be scaled down

The new coalition will not be able to provide proper Christmas lighting for the city this year, Laats said.

"But we will make sure it is in place next year. We definitely promise that Tallinn will be more lit up next year," said Laats.

"If we are talking about Christmas lighting in general, the order has to be placed 10, if not 11, months in advance to have it ready by the holidays. This year's Christmas lights will be based on the funds and materials already ordered," he added.

Municipal employees to keep jobs

Järvan said that "where our former colleague [Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus (SDE)] went wrong was in staff turnover and the stance that everyone who came before was a crook and had to be fired, and that the main goal was simply to bring in new people."

He said this is a mistake that should not be repeated. "For the environmental and municipal engineering department to find its footing properly, what's needed is stability and additional resources. Starting another round of major staff changes—I think that's a mistake our coalition should not repeat," Järvan added.

"Yes, Tallinn needs stability, stable governance, and we are moving in that direction to ensure it," said Laats.

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