Juri Ratas has resigned but denies any wrongdoing after a probe was opened into his ruling Center Party and its links with an Estonian businessman. A company owned by a party donor got a state loan with generous terms.
Estonia's prime minister, Juri Ratas, resigned Wednesday after his ruling Center Party came under investigation as part of a corruption probe.
President Kersti Kaljulaid now has 14 days to name a new prime minister who would then have to be approved by parliament.
"Today, I made a decision to resign as prime minister," Ratas, who is the chairman of the party, said in a Facebook post following an hours-long party board meeting.
Ratas said he hoped his resignation would help "shed light on all the circumstances and reach clarity."
The 42-year-old insisted that he had not made "any malicious or knowingly wrong decisions."
The investigation centers on the Porto Franco property company. Porto Franco received a large state loan and struck a lucrative deal with city authorities in the capital, Tallinn, whose mayor is also from the party.
The owner of the company's father, businessman Hillar Teder, donated large sums to the Center Party.
"As head of government, I did not feel in the case of Porto Franco that any minister or party had tried to sway the government's decisions in an illegal direction,” Ratas said in his statement.
Among other suspects in the corruption investigation is Kersti Kracht, an adviser to Finance Minister Martin Helme from the far-right EKRE party.
Ratas' resignation could scupper plans for a controversial same-sex marriage referendum that the coalition government had been planning to hold this spring.
Ratas, prime minister since late 2016, lost the 2019 general election, in which the center-right Reform Party emerged as the largest party.
He then blocked the winner from taking power by forming a surprise coalition of his left-leaning Center Party, the conservative Fatherland party and EKRE that gave the three parties a majority in parliament.
Estonia’s next general election is due in March 2023.
Latest Stories
-
Fuel price increases expected to slow down in coming days – IES
2 mins -
Prisons Service says it is probing officers vs. soldiers clash in Bawku
8 mins -
Border restrictions impact businesses and residents amid Togo elections
1 hour -
We’ve helped close leakage gaps – SML maintains
1 hour -
Ketu South MCE commissions an ultra-modern toilet facility in Aflao
1 hour -
Sunyani East parliamentary elections: Ransford Antwi to contest as an independent candidate
2 hours -
Publish full KPMG report on SML/GRA contract – NDC to Akufo-Addo
2 hours -
Inspire Action trains 24 people in vocational training
2 hours -
The government pays little attention to the health sector – Sammy Gyamfi
2 hours -
Peter Amewu mourns after mother’s death
2 hours -
Contract between the government and SML unlawful- Sammy Gyamfi
2 hours -
Dennis Agyei Boateng: Harnessing the power of development communication for Ghana’s development
2 hours -
Achieving equity in the fight against malaria requires greater domestic resource mobilisation
2 hours -
MP Murder Case: Defence Counsel to file ex-parte application to subpoena persons to assist trial
2 hours -
Eat healthy foods to attain anti-aging goals – Nutritionist
2 hours