Supporters of the Reform Party of current Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (centre) rejoice at the results of the Estonian parliamentary elections. March 5, 2023.
Tallinn – Current Prime Minister Kaja Kallas's Reform Party is leading by a wide margin in the Estonian parliamentary elections after more than 90 percent of the votes have been counted. According to preliminary results, she received almost 32 percent of the vote, while the right-wing populist Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) received 16 percent. According to Reuters, the result will likely ensure that the Estonian government remains one of the most pro-Ukrainian in Europe and that the country will maintain its pro-European orientation. The current prime minister already announced before the elections that her party would never merge with EKRE.
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According to the public broadcaster ERR, 63.7 percent of more than 900,000 eligible voters came to vote in Sunday's elections. According to preliminary data, a third of the people voted electronically, which the Baltic country's laws have allowed since 2005.
If the Reform Party succeeds in forming a functioning coalition, Estonia will probably retain its pro-European orientation, the effort to switch to green energies and will continue to accept Ukrainian refugees.
The fact that EKRE finished second, according to the still incomplete results, also indicates the growing concern of some voters about high energy prices and rising living costs, writes Reuters. EKRE promised to limit the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on Estonia and blames the current government for high inflation. According to preliminary results, the left-wing Estonian Center Party is in third place with almost 15 percent of the vote.
Nine parties and ten independent candidates sought seats in the 101-member Estonian parliament.
