New Narva city government approved by just one vote
The new Narva city government was approved on Thursday by the narrowest of margins.
Sixteen deputies at the council chamber voted in favor of the new composition, featuring Katri Raik as the returning mayor, while 15 voted against.
It was not clear ahead of the vote if the coalition would be approved – at a vote on January 2, the vote was an exact 15-15 split, necessitating Thursday's new vote.
Raik said the situation cannot yet be called stable, in a city noted for rambunctious politics. "Now Narva finally has power. Quite a peculiar one. Previously we only had a coalition agreement. There was no city government and no committees, yet we had to deal with the city budget. Now all the opportunities for moving forward are there, but it would be wrong to call the situation stable, because in a week a motion of no confidence in the council chairman will be discussed," she told "Aktuaalne kaamera."
"It is clear that next week it will still not be possible to work at full capacity. Various talk, agitation, rumors. But of course we all expect stability so that we can move forward with our work," Raik went on.
Following the October 2025 local elections, a coalition agreement was signed by two electoral alliances: "Narva 2.0" (11 seats) and "Respekt" (5 seats), giving a total of 16 deputies at the 31-seat chamber. In opposition are the Center Party (11 seats) and deputies from the electoral alliance "Plan B + Narva Linna Pulss" (four).
Former Center MP Mihhail Stalnuhhin was previously elected council chair.
Marina Šurupova (Narva 2.0 electoral alliance) was confirmed as deputy mayor at Thursday's vote, with her wage planned to be set at the next council session, while the members of the city government will be remunerated at €298 per month. Those members are Jelena Golubeva and Natalja Šibalova, also voted in on Thursday. Šurupova, Golubeva and Šibalova were all members of the last city government also.
The opposition also submitted a motion of no confidence in Stalnuhhin as council leader, to be discussed at an extraordinary session next week. The motion was read out by former mayor Jaan Toots (Center).
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Editor: Andrew Whyte Viktor Solts, Johanna Alvin
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera'
