Kaljulaid, president of Estonia 2016–2021, was voted out of office as head of the EOK at a meeting held on an extraordinary basis on Monday, April 27. Of the 114 EOK members present, 61 voted in favor of the motion of no-confidence to remove Kaljulaid as EOK president, with 58 voting in her favor.

Michal stated that Kaljulaid had been subjected to bullying tactics by those who brought the no-confidence motion to the table and their supporters. Michal personally backed Kaljulaid in this situation even as he has not always backed her politically.

"I too am Kersti Kaljulaid. I too do not support those who bully smaller and weaker people," Michal wrote on his social media account Wednesday evening.

"The more of us there are, the less room there is for mentally somewhat bitter old men. Those grumpy old men who teach us how to live by ordering and forbidding [things], convinced that things were better in the old days and that they should remain that way. They especially have strong opinions about society and the role of women. Please do not confuse these with grandfathers, which most men eventually become — kind-hearted people who may tell long and tedious stories about woodworking and other things, yet who do not rant or seek to belittle the future. Somehow we have ended up with far too many of these bitter men, and this time, the EOK bench ended up full of them," the prime minister continued.

Michal also referred to the episode as a "highly publicized mob attack" which was "carried out against someone who refused to wink at those who bully the weak."

Michal also referenced a common Estonian trope: Onu Heino ("Uncle Heino") – referring to a particular type of unreconstructed older male, who holds unequivocal, "old school" views.

"It has now been a little over a week since the "Heino squad" removed a female president from the leadership of the Olympic Committee. I call them the Heino squad because they themselves chose both the common label and the standard-bearer. May all the wonderful Heinos of the world forgive me — especially since, in my defense, I, too, once had an Uncle Heino. A genial man; if childhood memories serve me correctly; cigarettes and drinks were no stranger to him, and he always had a slightly sharp joke at hand.

This is not to mean that all men of that demographic behave in such a way, Michal added. "Which side he would have taken [on the EOK controversy], I will never know."

"Kersti Kaljulaid, as president — as the president of the Republic — stood for the right thing. Even if our views do not always align and I would have preferred to see Siim Kallas leaving the Estonia concert hall [after being sworn in] as president, her heart is in the right place. I respect her passion and honesty.

"But even if I stand alone, I know what is right. And the right thing is always to stand with the weaker side," he added.

Michal posted on the topic now because he had not had time to catch up on the saga, he said, only doing so while flying back to Estonia overnight. He said he had thought initially that there would have been room for a "negotiation phase about how things are done within the organization." But now having investigated more, the prime minister said that the picture "looks ugly" and that "it was not just half of Estonia's sports movement that lost here, nor only women, but all of us.

He also expressed bafflement at one of the formal causes of the ouster being Kaljulaid taking sides in the so-called Sildaru case, referring to freestyle ski stars and Olympic medalists Kelly and Henry Sildaru and their father, and Henry's coach, Tõnis. Sildaru senior has been accused, by Kelly, of engaging in abusive behavior. He has also been accused of financial mismanagement, and it had been noted he lacked an official coaching qualification.

Michal noted that while he was justice minister, 2011–2012, he "made tackling domestic violence a priority," despite initial resistance to discussing the topic seriously even from senior law enforcement officials. This he said was followed by "a fundamental change in attitude," including those residual from the Soviet occupation of Estonia – that "beating women and children is a family matter."

Kaljulaid has long led the fight against domestic violence in Estonia, and a foundation set up in her name does the same.

As for what is next, Michal wrote he did not know "what will become of the EOK. Let us hope money replaces values, and then the shame will fade. That's me being ironic."

Kaljulaid became EOK president in October 2024, after beating former president Urmas Sõõrumaa, a real estate businessman, in a vote. In addition to taking sides in the Sildaru case, allegations arose of financial mismanagement during her term as EOK chief.

The motion of no-confidence against Kaljulaid as EOK leader was initiated in March by Heino Märks, a former defense forces sports chief. It received some high-profile backing including from former decathlete and Sydney Olympics gold medalist Erki Nool, who in turn was backed by fellow Olympian Erika Salumäe – who took track cycling gold at the Seoul games and at the Barcelona games.

At present, acting head of the EOK is another Olympic medalist, Gerd Kanter, who took gold in the discus in 2008.

Delfi reported that there may be more to Michal's backing of Kaljulaid, noting that based on his statement, he as Reform Party leader is at least toying with the idea of Kaljulaid running as a presidential candidate at the September election.

Reform has 39 Riigikogu seats including those who vote with the party but are not a member of its faction; since a two-thirds majority is needed to elect a president at the 101-seat Riigikogu, Reform support is essential to elect the next head of state via the parliament.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!