Estonia Government Nears Collapse After Nationalist Party Targets Police Chief
- PM says finance chief exceeded authority, vows ‘rule of law’
- Ruling party support falls as opposition Reform at record high
Juri Ratas
Photographer: Marko Mumm/AFP via Getty Images
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A botched attempt by a nationalist party to oust the head of police has pushed Estonia’s squabbling government to the brink of collapse.
Prime Minister Juri Ratas issued a sharp rebuke to his junior coalition partner, saying Finance Minister Martin Helme “certainly exceeded his competencies.” Helme, standing in for his vacationing father Mart as interior minister, summoned police chief Elmar Vaher on Thursday and urged him to resign over a “loss of trust” or face dismissal, something that can only be done by government decision, Ratas said on public television.