Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip tendered his resignation on Tuesday, ending a nine-year stint as the longest serving head of government in the European Union in a bid to boost his party's chances for re-election.
The 57-year-old announced last month that he would step down after revealing plans to switch jobs with Estonia's EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas.
Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has two weeks to designate a new premier to run the government of the small ex-Soviet Baltic state, population 1.3 million.
Tallinn analysts said that, in addition to his ambition to join the European Commission following European elections in May, Ansip's resignation was also fuelled by sliding popularity.
"His Reform Party needs to increase its popularity to expect success at the next elections in spring 2015. And for the current government that would be very hard," sociologist Juhan Kivirahk told AFP.
The party had 21 percent support in February, according to a survey carried out by pollster Emor, down from 45 percent in May 2007 -- the highest while Ansip was in office.
On Sunday, the party officially named Kallas, its founder, as its candidate for premier, a post he last held in 2002-2003.
An avid cyclist and cross-country skiier, Ansip took power in March 2005 when the then-premier resigned following a no-confidence vote against one of his ministers.
He was elected to remain in office two years later, and again in 2011.
Ansip imposed harsh austerity measures to steer the country out of a record recession in 2008-2009 after it was hit hard by the global financial crisis.
The economy shrank by a jaw-dropping 14.3 percent in 2009. Following the austerity cuts, it soared by 9.6 percent in 2011 as Estonia joined the eurozone.
But analysts say the recovery has since fallen short of public expectations, with the EU Commission forecasting an expansion of a moderate 2.3 percent this year.
Ansip's Reform Party is the largest party in Estonia's parliament, holding 33 of the 101 seats. It governs in coalition with the Pro Patria and Res Publica union, which gives it a majority of 55 seats.
A trained chemist, Ansip began his career during the Soviet era in the Red Army where he was responsible for promoting communist party ideology at his unit.
In 1986-1988 he worked as a senior Communist Party official in the central Tartu district, before Estonia broke free from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1990-91.
Ansip also served as economy minister in 2004-2005 and earlier as Tartu mayor.
Ilves will now hold talks with parties represented in the parliament to decide whom to ask to form a new government.
The prime minister-designate will then have 14 days to form a new cabinet and ask both parliament and president for approval.
Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip tendered his resignation on Tuesday, ending a nine-year stint as the longest serving head of government in the European Union in a bid to boost his party’s chances for re-election.
The 57-year-old announced last month that he would step down after revealing plans to switch jobs with Estonia’s EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas.
Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has two weeks to designate a new premier to run the government of the small ex-Soviet Baltic state, population 1.3 million.
Tallinn analysts said that, in addition to his ambition to join the European Commission following European elections in May, Ansip’s resignation was also fuelled by sliding popularity.
“His Reform Party needs to increase its popularity to expect success at the next elections in spring 2015. And for the current government that would be very hard,” sociologist Juhan Kivirahk told AFP.
The party had 21 percent support in February, according to a survey carried out by pollster Emor, down from 45 percent in May 2007 — the highest while Ansip was in office.
On Sunday, the party officially named Kallas, its founder, as its candidate for premier, a post he last held in 2002-2003.
An avid cyclist and cross-country skiier, Ansip took power in March 2005 when the then-premier resigned following a no-confidence vote against one of his ministers.
He was elected to remain in office two years later, and again in 2011.
Ansip imposed harsh austerity measures to steer the country out of a record recession in 2008-2009 after it was hit hard by the global financial crisis.
The economy shrank by a jaw-dropping 14.3 percent in 2009. Following the austerity cuts, it soared by 9.6 percent in 2011 as Estonia joined the eurozone.
But analysts say the recovery has since fallen short of public expectations, with the EU Commission forecasting an expansion of a moderate 2.3 percent this year.
Ansip’s Reform Party is the largest party in Estonia’s parliament, holding 33 of the 101 seats. It governs in coalition with the Pro Patria and Res Publica union, which gives it a majority of 55 seats.
A trained chemist, Ansip began his career during the Soviet era in the Red Army where he was responsible for promoting communist party ideology at his unit.
In 1986-1988 he worked as a senior Communist Party official in the central Tartu district, before Estonia broke free from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1990-91.
Ansip also served as economy minister in 2004-2005 and earlier as Tartu mayor.
Ilves will now hold talks with parties represented in the parliament to decide whom to ask to form a new government.
The prime minister-designate will then have 14 days to form a new cabinet and ask both parliament and president for approval.
