Tiit Riisalo was the Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology of Estonia from 2023 to 2024. He decided to leave the Estonian 200 party. He said it was not a quick decision. He thought about it carefully.
Riisalo said he wants the party to do well. Recently, there have been many articles in the press. They claimed that Riisalo had made bad decisions for Estonia. Riisalo disagreed with this. He believed the party needed a new direction. He wanted to help Estonian 200 achieve this.
Riisalo also said he does not see himself in politics in the future. He has been very active throughout his life. Some think his world trip was a vacation. But Riisalo said it wasn't. After his ministerial position, he rested and studied. He worked on AI, for example. Currently, he is helping Ragnar Klavan in the Football Association presidential campaign.
Riisalo joined the Estonian 200 party in January 2022. According to the business registry, he left the party on Wednesday. Previously, he was in the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union. He served as its secretary-general from 2012 to 2015.
On March 20, actor Nikolai Bentsler also left Estonian 200. He joined the party in 2021. He participated in the party's ranks in both the Viimsi local elections and the parliamentary elections. He was not elected in either.