Estonian Interior Minister Mart Helme said he would resign from his post after causing a backlash for his party's claims that the US election was falsified.
On Sunday, Finance Minister Martin Helme – the son of Interior Minister Mart Helme – from the far-right Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) said the elections in the United States were “rigged so plainly, boldly, and on a massive scale”.
He spoke during a radio talk show together with his father Mart Helme, and Member of the European Parliament Jaak Madison. All three Estonian politicians represent EKRE, which are part of the country’s ruling coalition.
During the talk show, Mart Helme, who is the head of EKRE, said "the logic based on which the deep state operates is to smuggle in dirtbags, corrupt dirtbags that can be blackmailed".
"Joe Biden and Hunter Biden are corrupt characters," he added.
Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu have condemned their statements. The country’s president Kersti Kaljulaid said it was “an attack against Estonian democracy and security".
Read more: Estonian minister claims Baltics prepping ‘plan B’ to NATO, sparking criticism
On Monday, Mart Helme announced he would resign to preserve the ruling coalition due to its plans to hold a vote on the definition of marriage.
“Looking at the lies produced by the Estonian media, I decided to resign. I am tired. I haven’t done anything that would endanger Estonia's security,” Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR quoted Helme as saying.
Eurosceptic EKRE is known for its populist anti-immigration rhetoric. It joined Estonia's governing coalition in March last year, when it secured nearly a fifth of all votes.
President Kaljulaid said that the government with EKRE could harm Estonia’s foreign policy and its relations with allies.
At the end of October, the European Commission warned Estonia for tolerating racist and xenophobic speech, as well as Holocaust denialism.
Read more: Estonia adrift: how a digital pioneer became a source of political anxiety – opinion
CORRECTION: The earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed a quote by Martin Helme to Mart Helme.
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