Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi threatened to cut EPP's funding in the letter.

TALLINN — Estonian Public Broadcasting reported Friday that Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi sent an intimidating letter to its news program’s journalists in which he threatened cutting the the publicly-owned broadcaster’s budget in light of unfavorable editorial coverage.

In the note Ligi, sent Feb. 3, Ligi said he did not like how its news program portrayed the Reform Party’s plan to end the home loan interest relief program. In the letter, Ligi called politicians criticizing the Reform Party’s plan “populists” and called the story itself as revolting and cynical.

“You’ve done an extremely cynical story of me today, unfortunately some have quoted it licentiously,” Ligi wrote in the letter. “I must say that this kind of news stories are disgusting.”

In the letter, Ligi expressed he was not happy how the news presenter paraphrased his quote to Äripäev last week, saying that the tax relief is useless and supports the wealthy, who do not need it.

He also chastised the allegations saying that many would end up in financial difficulties because they have counted on the interest relief, and explained that no one should have planned their finances anticipating the relief and that even if it had passed, its impact which would be smaller than a Euribor fluctuation.

Ligi’s also pointed out that this tax relief cost 580 million krooni for the real estate boom in 2009 implying to the broadcasting’s wage fund.

“How much was this ERR’s budget again? How much does a new house or a wage fund cost? Do you deserve this money less, that I must save it?” wrote Ligi. “We’ll save on something else then, I promise.”

Margus Allikmaa, Estonian Public Broadcasting CEO told err.ee, that the letter implies a threat that cannot be approved.

“It is clear that every journalist and every publication must deplore such addressing,” Allikmaa told err.ee news site.

Ligi said that he was not trying to influence or threaten the ERR’s journalism but pointed out the fact if the tax relief will not be carried out then the state has to find the money elsewhere.

“The criticism was illustrated with examples which were on-the-edge and risky, but I am willing to risk that if the relations have so far been trustworthy,” Ligi told err.ee