The Reform Party board on Tuesday morning approved former Estonian Defense Forces commander Martin Herem as its candidate for defense minister, current Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry Erkki Keldo as its candidate for minister of climate and energy and Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS) board member Liina Vahtras as its candidate for minister of economic affairs and industry.

On September 11, ERR's Estonian-language news portal asked Keldo whether he could become the new climate minister. At the time, Keldo dismissed the claims as opposition spin. Vahtras' name was also mentioned in the article.

Reform Party chair and Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he made the offer to Herem following extensive discussions both within the party and with experts in the field.

"I decided to offer the position to Martin Herem in order to restore confidence in the defense sector amid the current security situation and put things in order at the Ministry of Defense in line with the recommendations of the National Audit Office. Just as importantly, with the current government having about six months left, Russia's aggression unfortunately means there is little time for someone to get up to speed in this field," Michal said.

According to Michal, Herem has the instincts in defense matters needed to ensure Russia's intentions do not go unnoticed and to prepare for new threats. "What is happening in Ukraine is providing a great deal of new knowledge and we need to learn from it without delay and put it to smart use. The new defense minister and I certainly see eye to eye on defense spending: Defense investment must remain at no less than 5 percent of GDP to ensure Estonia's defense," he added.

Michal said the role of minister of climate and energy requires someone with previous government experience who likewise will not need time to get up to speed. "Erkki Keldo has been involved in all the discussions on energy. What's more, many of these issues, such as encouraging new investment and speeding up planning procedures, are directly related to his current ministerial portfolio. Erkki also has very good working relationships and personal contacts with business leaders," Michal said.

"One of the new minister's tasks this winter will be to work with businesses to find ways of reducing the impact of high global fuel prices in Estonia, including by using other energy sources instead of gas. In the longer term, steps to reduce the impact of fossil fuels must be accelerated. On the environmental protection side, the long-debated Climate Act must be passed together with the Riigikogu team. To provide clean and affordable energy, we need to remove as many obstacles as possible from wind energy planning and development. We also need to establish a nuclear regulator so we can move forward with our plan to give nuclear energy the opportunity to become part of Estonia's future energy mix," the prime minister said, listing the priorities.

Regarding Liina Vahtras, the candidate for minister of economic affairs and industry, Michal highlighted her private-sector experience at Nortal, Pipedrive and Tuum, as well as her work in recent years developing Estonia's e-residency program. Vahtras is also involved in driving the development of artificial intelligence in Estonia.

"Artificial intelligence could become a success story for Estonia comparable to the Tiger Leap. It is important to harness the opportunities offered by AI in Estonia so that many people benefit, rather than just a few. We will all be wealthier if society as a whole does better. There are also still many steps to take in the labor market in this area, so that young people can enter employment more quickly and equality and development are ensured," Michal said.

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