Center and Isamaa, who between them have 48 seats on the 79-seat Tallinn City Council, announced Friday that the mayoral post, subject to much speculation before it was announced, would be shared between the parties. Each party will take a two-year stint across the four years between now and the next local elections, starting with Raudsepp as mayor.

Isamaa had faced negative press last week over allegations of illegal party donations. This means the unveiling of Peeter Raudsepp, well-known in the economic sphere but not a member of Isamaa or any other party, both served to take attention away from this and may translate into electoral success at the next Riigikogu election, found political scientist Mari-Liis Jakobson and sociologist Juhan Kivirähk.

Jakobson and Kivirähk both told "Aktuaalne kaamera" Isamaa had also made the right move given Center's strong position on Tallinn City Council following last month's elections. Center won 37 seats in the capital to Isamaa's 11.

This made it hard to see how the capital's full-term mayor could have come from Isamaa, over and against Center's chair, Mihhail Kõlvart, who was also mayor until spring 2024.

"[Isamaa chair] Urmas Reinsalu would have had a hard time explaining why he is mayor in Mihhail Kõlvart's city government. This problem does not exist for Raudsepp, as from the very start he declared that he would be a non-partisan mayor," Kivirähk said.

Jakobson noted that when someone is elected into a visible political position, opposition politicians and the media usually study their background deeply.

"In those circles something could come out that may not show him in the best light, but overall I think Isamaa made a fairly good deal with this pick," Jakobson said.

While it is too early to say how getting a mayor for half a term might translate for Isamaa and for Raudsepp himself into votes at the 2027 Riigikogu election, both experts said the party in any case has a strong candidate to field at that election.

"We will see what happens in Tallinn city over the next year and a half and whether being mayor brings any extra points or not, but undeniably Raudsepp until now was known in economic circles, who watch the state of the economy. Now, he will gain wider recognition and that is, for elections, without doubt a plus," Kivirähk said.

"Since his mandate is not four but two years, he has very good chances to run, not as a decoy, but as a person who can promise that if elected, he will go to represent his voters in parliament," Jakobson added, referring to Estonia's electoral system lending itself to "vote catcher" candidates being run strategically, without the intention of that candidate actually taking up a seat if elected.

The Raudsepp news will likely outshine, for Isamaa and its supporters, news which came earlier in the week that the party was under suspicion of accepting a forbidden donation.

"Certainly it is good if, in such a situation, positive news can be served up. Especially positive news for supporters. A shift of the thematic focus could help them right themselves politically and strategically now," she added.

Opposition deputies at the Tallinn City Council had criticized bringing in a mayor who had not run in the local elections, though electoral law does not forbid it.

The Center Party and Isamaa announced on November 4 that they had agreed to begin coalition negotiations in Tallinn. During the first two years, the position of mayor will be held by Isamaa's candidate, ie. Raudsepp, and during the following two years by a candidate from the Center Party.

The coalition agreement is to be signed on Monday morning with the new city council set to hold its first session on Tuesday afternoon. The coalition agreement and Raudsepp as mayor will need to be voted on at the council. As noted the coalition has a majority. Outgoing Tallinn mayor is Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE).

Isamaa were out again in the campaigning tents on Saturday, as they and all the other parties had been ahead of the October 19 local elections, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported. This time, the purpose was not to canvass voters but to thank them, though Raudsepp himself did not attend.

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