Reformist leader and prime minister Kaja Kallas tweeted just after 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning Estonian time that: “The sun is rising and we have finished today’s talks, sadly without result”, although SDE deputy leader Riina Sikkut said that if the will was there, a deal could be reached within an hour of the talks.

Päike tõuseb ja lõpetasim tänaseks kõnelused, paraku ilma tulemuseta. pic.twitter.com/Nk4I4i7inx

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 7, 2022

The three parties had declared publicly on Tuesday that there had been a rapprochement in certain areas.

“The situation is still the same big issues as yesterday – family benefits, electricity market reform, people’s livelihoods and education in Estonian,” Prime Minister Kallas told the show. news report “Aktuaalne kaamera” (AK) at the time, referring to the three key topics on the table.

“My feeling is that yesterday (i.e. Tuesday – editor’s note) we got closer on these issues, and some things that are open, we will discuss them again now that everyone has been able to speak with them again. their factions.” Kallas said earlier on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, SDE deputy leader Riina Sikkut told Vikerraadio’s morning show that “Isamaa has been the stiffest party in the negotiations” and talks will continue on Thursday afternoon after people involved have had time to sleep, although no agreement has been reached. still reached, mainly because of the dispute between Isamaa and the reformists on the question of family allowances.

“They have different views on the generosity of being generous,” Sikkut added, although he expressed more optimism for Estonian-language-only education policies, starting in kindergarten.

“It is a pity that this great desire finds its outlet in the form of the declaration of annual quotas,” she added, adding that the transition would only be feasible if teachers’ salaries were increased.

Later, progress was also made on offsetting soaring energy prices from next autumn, likely a repeat of last year’s heating season, which Sikkut said would see a automatic compensation of natural gas, electricity and district heating bills in the form of price caps. – which means there is no need to submit applications as happened at the start of the crisis, at the end of last year.

There would also be a volume limit, however, said Sikkut

Isamaa Chair: Agreement on certain areas of energy, open to others, and on family benefits and education

Isamaa Chairman Helir-Valdor Seeder told ERR on Thursday morning that the parties had agreed on power, to allow consumers to purchase power from Eesti Energia at cost plus the price of CO2, of which €50 per MWh would be deducted as compensation from the State.

Whether this remains after the heating period (October to March) or not and whether there should be an upper consumption limit that remains open, he said, adding that a price cap for natural gas and district heating of €80 per MWh, beyond which the State would provide 80% compensation.

On the issue of family benefits, Seeder said that Isamaa’s wish to include a €700 subsidy and indexation for families with children in the coalition agreement, compared to €600 plus indexation or €700 without indexation of Reform, was up in the air, while on education an agreement was in place that in 2024 early childhood education would be transferred to the Estonian language, with exceptions granted only at government level following to requests at the municipal level. Regarding basic education, grades one to four would be transferred to Estonian only, without exception, by or in 2024, Seeder said.

This article has been updated to include comments from Helir-Valdor Seeder.

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