Estonia's new centre-right government sworn in

TALLINN

Estonia's new centre-right coalition government led by Kristen Michal was sworn in on Tuesday, a week after the previous prime minister resigned to take an EU job.

The 49-year-old Michal, who was most recently climate minister, will helm a three-party cabinet composed of his Reform, the Social Democrats and Estonia 200.

The new government of the Baltic state — an EU and NATO member and staunch Ukraine ally — enjoys a large parliamentary majority and is composed of the same parties from the previous administration.

"I am glad that there was only one week between the resignation of Kaja Kallas and the appointment of the government led by Kristen Michal," President Alar Karis said on Monday.

Kallas, a hawkish Russia critic who had led Estonia since 2021, was last month picked as the European Union's next foreign policy chief. Her nomination still needs to be put to a vote in the European Parliament.

Her successor Michal also belongs to the Reform party. A law graduate, he has previously headed the justice, economy and climate ministries.