At an extraordinary session on Tuesday, 23 members of the Tallinn City Council voted in favor of the no-confidence motion against Mayor Peeter Raudsepp (Isamaa). At least 40 votes were needed for it to pass.

The Social Democrats hold 17 seats on the council, while Parempoolsed have six. Together with the council's only unaffiliated member, Pärtel-Peeter Pere, the signatories to the motion had 24 votes in total. A majority of the full council membership is required to pass a no-confidence motion. The Tallinn City Council has 79 seats.

According to the motion's signatories, the no-confidence initiative was prompted by what they described as a systematic abandonment over the past six months of investments and projects necessary for Tallinn's development, while prioritizing personal gain. Opposition representatives said the supplementary budget also supports that claim.

The supplementary budget under criticism cuts funding for youth sports activities — the so-called per-participant subsidy — by €3.5 million, or one-third, the signatories said. It also reduces investments by slightly more than €5 million, including a €1.88 million cut to road construction and maintenance. In addition, 67 percent of planned sidewalk construction projects and 86 percent of measures to improve safety around schools will not be carried out, according to the motion.

The Tallinn coalition has previously faced criticism from the opposition for abandoning plans to reconstruct several streets, including the renovation of Liivalaia tänav together with the construction of a tram line, the reconstruction of Koidu tänav and the development of bicycle lanes on Narva maantee.

The governing coalition in the Tallinn City Council — made up of the Center Party and Isamaa — holds a total of 48 seats.

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