TALLINN — Jüri Pihl will stay on as the leader of the Social Democratic Party even after falsely accusing the prime minister and two other Cabinet members of treason.

Party members gathered Friday evening to hear Pihl’s explanations for the accusations that the prime minister and two other ministers may have committed treason.

At the meeting Pihl admitted that his statement to security services included inappropriate arguments. The frank apology was enough to convince the party members not to vote him out. He will only be forced to give a short public apology as admonishment for the bogus claims against the country’s leadership.

Peeter Kreitzberg, vice chairman of the party and the meeting
executive, said the meeting occurred calmly with no one insisting on Pihl stepping down.

“I asked if anyone wishes to vote in favor of retiring Pihl, but there were no votes against him, even by those who had earlier sent sharp
comments against him,” Kreitzberg told Baltic Reports.

The board instead criticized the Minister of Justice and Reform party
member Rein Lang’s move to reveal special documents and use them in the political arena.

“Lang should also apologize for making the documents public,” Kreitzberg said.

Pihl’s punishment to apologize was settled on Friday evening but it is still unclear what he will say in his address.

“I promised to apologize and I will consult with my advisers to see how and in what way I will do it,” Pihl told Baltic Reports.

Pihl made a statement to the Security Police Board on Dec. 2 that he suspected Reform party members Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet and Minister of Justice Rein Lang of treason and urged the Estonian Security Police Board to launch an investigation into the trio.

Police ignored the claims and decided not to launch a criminal investigation.