Narva opposition council elects new city leaders in self-convened session

Narva city council opposition members held a self-convened session and elected new city leaders. Urbo Vaarmann was chosen as council chairman and Centre Party member Jaan Toots as mayor. Coalition deputies consider the session illegal.

The opposition faction of Narva City Council took matters into their own hands on Thursday, holding a self-convened extraordinary session in which they elected new leadership for Estonia's third-largest city. Urbo Vaarmann was elected as the new council chairman, while Centre Party member Jaan Toots was voted in as the new mayor of Narva.

The session was organised solely on the initiative of opposition councillors, without the agreement or participation of the ruling coalition. Coalition deputies have declared the session unlawful, arguing that it lacked the legal basis required for a properly convened council meeting and that any decisions made during it are therefore invalid.

The power struggle in Narva's city council reflects ongoing political tensions in the city, which has long been a stronghold of the Centre Party. The opposition's move to hold an independent session and install their own candidates in key leadership roles represents a significant escalation in the conflict between the two blocs. It remains to be seen whether the decisions made at the session will be recognised by state authorities or challenged through legal channels.