All of Estonia's MEPs likely to run in local elections
All seven Estonian MEPs are expected to be running in October's local elections, and four are already confirmed. The clear focus is on Tallinn.
The Social Democrats (SDE) announced Monday that their number one candidate in Tallinn's Kristiine district is to be MEP Sven Mikser, following last week's announcement that the party's other MEP, Marina Kaljurand, will also be running, as top candidate in the Lasnamäe district.
The Reform Party also announced at the weekend that its number one candidate in the Nõmme district of Tallinn will be Urmas Paet, the party's sole MEP.
Isamaa's Jüri Ratas has confirmed he is running in October's elections too. While the electoral district he will be running in is not confirmed yet, ERR reports it is "very likely" Lasnamäe also.
Isamaa says that it has proposed its other MEP, Riho Terras, also run. Terras has run in Tallinn's Kesklinn district in previous local elections, and his decision will be made clear by next week, the party says.
Center Party MEP Jana Toom is confirmed as running in Haabersti, again in the capital, while Jaak Madison, who last summer left the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) and joined Center, told ERR he will be running in Tallinn, though the district has not yet been decided.
Eesti 200, Parempoolsed and the Green Party do not have sitting MEPs.
The d'Hondt system of proportional representation used in Estonian elections lends itself to high-profile vote magnet candidates running as part of parties' campaign strategies.
Polling day for the local government elections is October 19.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Urmet Kook
