Estonian PM faces confidence vote after coalition collapses

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas on Tuesday refused to step down a day after his three-party coalition collapsed, and now faces a confidence vote in parliament that he is unlikely to survive, local media said. 


Amid the political chaos, party leaders on course to form the next government vowed that the Baltic state would remain firmly rooted in the eurozone and NATO as it gears up to assume the EU's rotating presidency in the second half of 2017. 


With his Reform party commanding just 30 seats in the 101-member parliament, Roivas's fate appeared to be sealed Tuesday when leaders of the five other parties in parliament gave him an ultimatum: step down or be voted out. 


"We are calling upon the prime minister to step down himself by 2 pm (Wednesday) at the latest," they said in a joint statement quoted by public broadcaster ERR. 


"Otherwise the head of government will be faced with five political parties' joint motion of no confidence, which is unprecedented. 


"Estonia is a democratic state and it is time for the prime minister to recognise that the coalition has folded." 


The confidence vote is set for Wednesday, according to ERR

Source: NNA