A vote of no confidence initiated by the opposition in the Reform-Eesti 200 minority government failed on Monday evening.
Thirty-four members of the 101-seat Riigikogu voted in favor of the motion, with no votes against or abstentions registered. The supporting MPs were from the Isamaa, EKRE and Center opposition parties.
The opposition Social Democratic Party and several independent MPs did not sign the motion and did not vote.
Members discussed the no-confidence motion in the Riigikogu before the vote took place.
Isamaa Chairman Urmas Reinsalu, representing those who initiated the motion, said the question under discussion was whether the government had failed in its duties during Prime Minister Kristen Michal's (Reform) tenure as prime minister.
"Not only because of the wrong decisions it has made, but because it has lost its credibility, its sense of reality and the broader support of society," he said.
The chairman noted that the vote was unlikely to succeed.
"Tactically, this is good news for Kristen Michal: thanks to the support of the Social Democrats, he will remain in office and be able to continue pursuing his agenda in the near future. The bad news for the overwhelming majority of Estonian people is that this government will remain in office for the time being," Reinsalu said.
Michal responded to the accusations and said: "The government's plan is working."
"Estonia's economy is growing twice as fast as the European Union average /.../ Jobs are being created. Unemployment in Estonia has fallen to its pre-pandemic level of early 2020. Inflation has subsided and will fall further," he continued.
He added that the opposition had painted a picture of Estonia that is "unrecognizable in real life."
Political scientist Tõnis Leht told ERR that the vote was primarily an opportunity for parties to position themselves and shape their image.
"Everyone stands to gain a little from this motion of no confidence, and no one really loses much. This is ordinary political theater in which all sides hope to gain something and send messages that appeal specifically to their own voters," he said.
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