Eesti Ekspress reported Wednesday that the coalition party Eesti 200, whose support has dropped to around 2 percent, hopes to avoid disappearing from Estonian politics by the next elections. To do so, the party is focusing on value-based conflicts and political opposition and is considering a name change. Early 2026, Eesti 200 plans to present a manifesto that will outline the party's core message and the key value conflict ahead.

"The beauty of democracy lies in the fact that people elect their representatives to the Riigikogu. And in order for those representatives to actually represent the people, we have a five-percent threshold. In Riigikogu elections, this means representation truly comes from both rural and urban areas, from east and west, from Sõrve and the islands. It's a very good system we have in Estonia. To cross the five-percent threshold in parliamentary elections, support is needed from more than just a few municipalities. That's the genius of our electoral system — it ensures that members of parliament truly act as representatives of the people," Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa Pakosta told ERR.

"To achieve that kind of representation, a party needs to have about three times as many members in each municipality as there are seats on the municipal council. That's a good benchmark to see whether the party has a broad enough base. That's also why all Estonian political parties have undergone some kind of merger process," she said.

According to Pakosta, one of the strengths of the merger process is that people involved often don't agree on everything. "That's actually very positive — it's good that people have different opinions," she emphasized.

"What always happens when parties merge in Estonia — and I've seen this myself — is that programs are reviewed and there's usually a shift toward the middle ground. That's a good thing for the people of Estonia, because it gives those views or ideologies a slightly broader base," Pakosta said.

"This has been the case in other countries as well: political engagement often starts from a passionate edge and then gradually moves toward the broader, more centrist middle. So, this process is entirely normal, democratic, beneficial for voters and keeps democracy functioning," she said.

Pakosta added that merging parties do not need to share identical views. For Eesti 200, there is no shortage of potential partners.

"There are actually several parties with whom such opportunities exist. If you look at past mergers in Estonia, they never happened because everyone was thrilled and excited — like, 'oh, how wonderful that we get to merge.' On the contrary, it's always a painful and difficult process for those involved. That's precisely because the two parties are always different — if they weren't, there would have been no need for a separate party in the first place. These are always different entities," Pakosta stressed.

She noted that when two parties merge, they create a new quality and a new, thoughtfully constructed program, which is not the same as what either party had on its own. "That formula applies regardless of how the merger unfolds. One thing that can definitely be ruled out is a merger with EKRE — that's an example of populism that's of no benefit, even from a statesmanlike perspective. Though EKRE does have some very nice individuals, its overall rhetoric is not good for Estonia. But I would say the rest of the political spectrum is entirely open to discussion. The outcome and negotiations depend on what the merged party ultimately wants to achieve," said Pakosta.

Eesti 200's ideology needs specifying

Eesti 200's support began to decline almost immediately after the party made the Riigikogu. The last time its rating topped 10 percent was in July 2023. Since then, support has plummeted, falling below the electoral threshold from early 2024 onward. Throughout this period, Eesti 200 politicians have sought ways to boost support, most often emphasizing the need for clearer, more understandable messaging. Hopes were high for Kristina Kallas, who was re-elected as party chair on August 31, 2024.

According to Liisa Pakosta, the party has not paid enough attention to its ideological foundation.

"In my view, we haven't really addressed the question of worldview or at least I haven't noticed it. By that, I mean thinking through how your decisions and actions align with the worldview you claim to promote. No party in Estonia is dazzling in this regard, but those that do better tend to be the ones whose words, beliefs and actions align in a credible way," Pakosta told ERR.

This, she said, is also why political turnover is constant.

"At some point, one party is in power and then, due to circumstances or the decisions that have to be made, those actions clash with the party's core worldview. That's when new forces emerge from the opposition. When you're in opposition, your words and actions always align. Then those opposition forces govern for a while and the same thing happens — some decisions need to be made that don't clearly match up with the party's ideological stance. And then there's another shift. That's been the pattern in Estonian politics all along. But all parties periodically reassess their ideological positioning," Pakosta said.

According to her, Eesti 200 now needs exactly that kind of ideological clarification.

"I think so, yes. It's not clearly defined. At times we've thrown ourselves into work at full speed, but you can't say all the decisions made have had... Well, some certainly have and are clearly liberal, but maybe not all. That's the work being done now. We've had discussions about our worldview across Estonia in recent weeks and I'd call it a process of clarification," Pakosta said.

"Our core messages are national-mindedness, liberalism and innovation. The question is whether we all interpret those the same way," she added.

Pakosta also confirmed that she does not intend to run for chair of Eesti 200.

Euthanasia debate

A couple of weeks ago, Margus Tsahkna proposed holding a national referendum on the issue of euthanasia.

"Euthanasia, for example, leaves no one indifferent," Tsahkna told Eesti Ekspress. "It's a fundamental principle in our platform. And I know the Social Democrats and Reform Party will back it."

ERR asked Liisa Pakosta whether the proposal was a populist move aimed at boosting the party's poll numbers. According to Pakosta, Tsahkna's call cannot be considered populist.

"Eesti 200's platform has addressed the issue of euthanasia and we've held the position that access to palliative care must be guaranteed and that people should have the right to die with dignity. That includes a debate on whether and how euthanasia could be legalized. Raising the question of whether this debate could take place via referendum is not populist," Pakosta said.

"Personally, I don't think a referendum is the best way to address this topic. From a governance standpoint, it's not the kind of approach I favor, even though it's been done elsewhere in the world. There are better ways to hold this debate. But at the same time, keeping the conversation alive and asking whether a referendum could be one of the ways to approach it is perfectly reasonable," she added.

"I don't believe he made the proposal to boost the party's ratings. The issue of euthanasia doesn't increase a party's popularity — we all know that perfectly well. It's a topic that society needs to discuss, but it's not a popularity-raising issue. Death is never a popular subject," Pakosta said.

Terras: Merging with another party should not be ruled out

Regional and Agriculture Minister Hendrik Johannes Terras, who is not currently a member of Eesti 200's board but ran for party chair alongside Kristina Kallas in August 2024, declined to share a specific vision for the party's future at this time.

"I will certainly discuss my vision with fellow party members, but it's not something I want to present to them through the media," Terras told ERR.

"I think the appropriate forum for discussing such ideas is ahead of the general assembly where board and chair candidates present their programs. That's when party members and the wider public can make their assessments. Ultimately, party members will decide which direction to take. As for who will do what and when, we can't say just yet," he added.

Several members of Eesti 200's board told Eesti Ekspress that the party's leadership election should be moved forward from June to the spring. Current party chair Kristina Kallas, however, told the paper that she was hearing about the idea for the first time.

"Whether there's any point to moving it forward is up to the board to decide. Renewing the mandate before the next Riigikogu election is certainly important — the earlier, the more time there is to work toward that goal," Terras commented.

ERR also asked Terras whether he plans to run again for party chair. "I haven't discussed it with Kristina [Kallas]. She hasn't spoken to me about whether I'd want to run and I don't have any particular ambition to do so. But I'm definitely open to talking with her about it," he replied.

ERR then followed up, asking whether Terras would need the chair's approval to run.

"As a member of her team, I would only do it if we agreed on it," Terras said.

On the topic of whether Eesti 200 should consider merging with another party, Terras said it's an option worth weighing. "It has been considered and it would need careful thought. If it appears beneficial to the party, I certainly wouldn't rule it out," he said.

The Eesti Ekspress article also discusses the possibility of changing the party's name. Politicians acknowledge that the Eesti 200 brand has taken a serious hit since the party's successful 2022 election campaign. Moreover, most people don't know why the party is called "Eesti 200," the paper noted.

"'Eesti 200' doesn't show where we stand on the political map," said Toomas Uibo.

"I like the idea of including the word 'liberal' in our party's name," added Kalev Stoicescu.

Terras, however, does not see a name change alone as a solution. "It's one idea that's been discussed, but it could be done or not. I think the real challenges lie elsewhere. You can work on the brand, but that only makes sense if you have momentum behind you," Terras said.

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