Minister From Estonian Anti-Immigrant Party Lasts One Day in Job

(Bloomberg) -- An official from Estonia’s anti-immigrant party lasted just one day in government after a criminal investigation was opened into allegations of domestic violence.

President Kersti Kaljulaid approved the resignation letter by Foreign Trade and IT Minister Marti Kuusik, according to an emailed statement from her office. Kuusik, from the populist EKRE party, said he was innocent and the target of a smear campaign, according to the letter, which was cited by public broadcaster ERR and the Postimees newspaper.

Prime Minister Juri Ratas said he’d received reports about the probe from the chief of police and the prosecutor general but couldn’t comment “at the current stage of the investigation.”

Ratas’s new cabinet, sworn in on Monday, has triggered concerns of hampering Estonia’s ties with its Western allies because of the inclusion of EKRE. Ratas has pledged to mend divisions in society while promising no change in Estonia’s foreign and security policy.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ott Ummelas in Tallinn at oummelas@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Andrew Langley

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