Experts: Eesti 200 could lose voters to Parempoolsed
According to political experts, the local elections may shift support among parties surpassing the electoral threshold, with some former Eesti 200 voters turning to Parempoolsed.
The Eesti 200 party is heading into the local elections with nearly 200 candidates. At Saturday's election congress, the party revealed its lead candidates for Tallinn's districts, most of whom are current district governors, government ministers or sitting members of the Riigikogu. Despite the party's low approval ratings, Eesti 200 is not backing down.
"I cannot resign as party chair, because that would also mean stepping down from certain government positions — you understand this very well. I believe there are plenty of Estonians who want people without long political careers, experts, to be involved in politics. I think the times we are living in today will go down in Estonian history as a period of uncertainty, and this is true globally as well. In such turbulent times, it's extremely difficult for parties to maintain their support, especially when very unpopular decisions must be made," said Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas, commenting on her party's low rating.
Political scientist Tõnis Leht said the local election results will be critically important for Eesti 200, particularly in Tallinn and Tartu. If the party fails to perform well in these cities, it will reinforce the perception that the next Riigikogu elections are also a lost cause.
"Of course, there's now strong competition from Parempoolsed. In a sense, Parempoolsed have become the new Eesti 200 — offering a fresh alternative. While there are some ideological differences, the average voter may not pay much attention to them," said Leht.
Eesti 200 is also likely to face a tough time at the polls, according to political journalist Mikk Salu.
"They're going to lose in the local elections — and I say that politely — they're actually going to collapse. Their struggles have gone on for a long time; this isn't just about the past week or two, or even just the last year. I expect that a portion of Eesti 200 supporters will vote for Parempoolsed this time," said Salu.
According to Parempoolsed leader Lavly Perling, some members of Eesti 200 are already considering switching parties. Still, she does not see Eesti 200 as a direct rival.
"We're a values-based party and see our main competition as Isamaa and the Reform Party, so we're certainly not looking to replace anyone," Perling said.
The local elections will be held in October.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Marko Tooming
