However, speculation on leadership changes and defections has raised questions about the party's stability ahead of the local elections later this year.

Eesti 200 has seen its rating fall and fall since last year, mostly in the wake of several scandals and departures of high-profile members.

However, MPs Irja Lutsar, Hendrik Johann Terras and Kalev Stoicescu say they do not see tensions within the party, maintaining that both party leader and Education Minister Kristina Kallas and Riigikogu Speaker Lauri Hussar have done a good job.

Terras said: "Our conversations function well, in general. Some things could have been done differently, yet it is hard to say if that would have been better. Overall, people get along reasonably well and engage in political discussions."

Terras also argued that while the party's rating is low, he does not see any internal disputes.

He said that the faction has not yet discussed whether Hussar should continue as Speaker of the Riigikogu or not, after next month's Riigikogu board elections.

"Personally, I think Lauri has managed fairly well. I have no criticism of him, but ultimately, it is the faction's decision," Terras went on.

Meanwhile, Kalev Stoicescu, chair of the Riigikogu's National Defense Committee, defended the party's leadership, stressing that Kristina Kallas remains the best possible leader for the party.

He said: "Of course, it's unfortunate that the party's support is so low, but the overall atmosphere is what it is."

He also noted the challenges of being in office.

"We are part of the coalition with the Reform Party and the Social Democratic Party, where when the environment is overwhelmingly negative, this is a direct consequence. We are doing our best to move Estonia forward in this very difficult situation. And that's just how it is," Stoicescu went on.

Stoicescu also identified a key challenge for Eesti 200 — its inexperience compared to older, more established parties.

"Our experience in politics is definitely smaller than that of the older, more established parties. And we immediately took on a great responsibility as part of the governing coalition. Perhaps we are more focused on getting things done rather than engaging in politics," he went on.

Irja Lutsar acknowledged concerns about low public support and confirmed that internal discussions have taken place on how to address it.

She said: "We have also discussed this with the party leadership — what future strategies could be and what else we can do to increase support."

"Discussions like that have taken place within the leadership. There are some ideas, but I don't want to reveal them yet," Lutsar, a virologist who came to prominence during the Covid pandemic, went on.

However, some Riigikogu members from other parties have claimed that internal discussions had taken place about the chance of nominating someone else as a candidate for the Speaker of the Riigikogu, to replace Hussar, a former Eesti 200 leader.

The Riigikogu board elections are to take place on March 27, at which point the Riigikogu speaker and their two deputies are elected. Hussar is eligible for a second term.

Political analyst Ott Lumi had previously warned that Eesti 200 is exposed to the highest risk ahead of the upcoming local government elections, as some faction members may decide to join other parties, which could create tensions within the faction as well as harm its overall performance.

The latest Norstat poll put Eesti 200's support at 2.7 percent, while a recent Turu-uuringute survey commissioned by portal Delfi found Kristina Kallas had just 6 percent support as a prime ministerial candidate.

Eesti 200 was founded in 2018 and contested its first election, to the Riigikogu, in May 2019. While it did not win any seats there or at the European Parliament elections the same year, the party went on to win seats in the 2021 local elections.

It performed notably well at the March 2023 Riigikogu elections, winning 14 seats. While this figure has since dropped to 13 with the departure of Züleyxa Izmailova to the Social Democrats (SDE), it is still far higher than its rating figure. The 2023 result also saw the party being pitched straight into office with Reform and SDE, despite having no significant Riigikogu experience up to that point.

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