Politics
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Tallinn Budget Advances Amid Patronage and Illegality Claims
Tallinn's City Council has advanced the city's €1.32 billion 2026 budget, but the procedural step is mired in controversy as former Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski accuses the new administration of violating the law by failing to present a multi-year financial strategy while other critics decry planned staffing increases as political patronage.
- —The Tallinn City Council has advanced the city's 2026 budget to a second reading, with the proposed budget totaling 1.32 billion euros.
- —Former Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski has questioned the current administration's delay in presenting a multi-year budget strategy, accusing them of violating the law.
- —The opposition criticizes the city administration's plan to increase the number of positions in city structures, alleging it's a move to place party loyalists in paid roles.
- —City officials defend the staffing changes, citing new tasks and the need for clearer management structures, particularly in district administrations and vice-mayor offices.
Recap
The conflict over Tallinn's budget reveals a deeper struggle for control following a shift in power. Accusations of legal violations and political patronage are being used to challenge the new administration's governance and financial planning, turning a routine budgetary process into a test of political legitimacy and transparency.