On Thursday, Urmas Sõõrumaa announced that he would no longer run for mayor of Tallinn. He said he was a bit naive when he thought that local politics was not as important as national politics. He has not given up on the idea of working as mayor.
Sõõrumaa said that a lot of confusion has arisen in a short time. He was not initially part of this story, but now he is. He believes that political strife and governance at the same time is not sustainable.
Will Sõõrumaa be the Reform Party's top candidate in the Tallinn elections? He is currently non-partisan but is the Reform Party's mayoral candidate. He has not spoken about joining the party.
Who invited Sõõrumaa as a mayoral candidate? Pärtel-Peeter Pere invited him. Sõõrumaa has also spoken with Kristen Michal, who tried to understand what was happening.
What was promised to Sõõrumaa? He said that nothing can be promised to him. He wants to become mayor and plans to do so.
Why did Sõõrumaa say yes? He said he has a deep desire to contribute to society. He wants to lead the city that is his home.
Does Sõõrumaa regret his decision? No, he does not regret it. He admits that he is inexperienced and naive in politics. He thought local politics was not so important, but now he sees that it is significant.
Did Sõõrumaa consult anyone before making his decision? Yes, he consulted with close people. He made an offer to the Reform Party that they found hard to refuse.
What offer did Sõõrumaa make? He said the current situation, where they are suspected of secret dealings, is not good for governing the city. He called on people to contribute in their fields.
Sõõrumaa said he is going into the elections with the message of forming a technocratic city government. He knows it is difficult, but he wants political strife to be smaller.
Sõõrumaa is going into the autumn elections for a second attempt. He hopes things will go better with the Reform Party than ever before.