(01/16/09) -

Support Grows for Opposition KESK in Estonia

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Estonian Centre Party (KESK) is increasingly popular in the country, according to a poll by TNS Emor. 35 per cent of respondents would vote for the main opposition party in the next legislative election, up nine points since September.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Estonian Centre Party (KESK) is increasingly popular in the country, according to a poll by TNS Emor. 35 per cent of respondents would vote for the main opposition party in the next legislative election, up nine points since September.

The ruling Estonian Reform Party (ER) is second with 29 per cent—down five points in three months—followed by the Union of Fatherland and Res Publica (IRPL) with 13 per cent, both the Estonian Greens (EER) and the Social Democratic Party (SDE) with eight per cent, and the Estonian People’s Union (ERL) with four per cent.

In March 2007, a legislative election took place in Estonia. Final results placed the ER in first place with 27.8 per cent of the vote, followed by the KESK with 26.1 per cent, and the IRPL with 17.9 per cent. In early April, the ER, the IRPL and the SDE agreed to form a government. ER leader Andrus Ansip retained his post as prime minister.

On Jan. 7, Ansip launched a working group charged with studying Estonia’s potential adoption of the euro. The group includes, among others, the prime minister, the minister of finance, leaders of coalition-member parties, the head of the Central Bank and business leaders. Ansip presented the team, saying, "Estonia might have an opportunity to join euro in the near future. (…) It is in the interest of all of us to join euro as fast as possible. That is why all parties must make efforts to meet requirements for joining euro."

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next parliamentary election?

Source: TNS Emor
Methodology: Interviews with 1,010 Estonian adults, conducted in December 2008. No margin of error was provided.