After months of speculation, EU leaders have nominated Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a strong critic of Russia and Vladimir Putin, to lead EU foreign policy for the next five years.

This means someone from her the right-liberal Reform Party, which currently holds a strong mandate in Estonia’s parliament, will have to fill her shoes as new party leader and prime minister of the Baltic state.

Kallas would have preferred that the new party leader be elected at an emergency party congress. But the Reform Party board decided to do things quickly, and elect the new candidate — and next prime minister — behind closed doors on…