Estonia appoints new ministers for key positions

TALLINN, Estonia – Estonia has appointed ministers for two key positions in a Cabinet reshuffle prompted by a leadership change in the junior coalition member.

IRL Party members Juri Luik and Toomas Toniste took over the defence and finance ministries respectively immediately after being sworn in on Monday. They replaced party colleagues Margus Tsahkna and Sven Sester.

Luik is a former diplomat and a high-ranking official at the Baltic country’s foreign ministry and Toniste is a businessman and former lawmaker.

The conservative IRL is part of Estonia’s current three-party coalition government with Prime Minister Juri Ratas’ Center Party and the Social Democrats.

IRL elected Helir-Valdor Seeder as its new chairman in May to replace Tsahkna who said he would not seek re-election.