Overshadowed by the effects of the Russian war against Ukraine, Estonia today elected a new parliament. According to polls before the election, a victory for Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ liberal business reform party emerged. Kallas, who has been the first woman to head Estonia’s government since 2021, is considered one of the most resolute supporters of Ukraine in Europe.
The 45-year-old currently leads a three-party coalition with the Social Democrats and the conservative party Isamaa. However, it is unclear whether this alliance can remain in power despite the high approval ratings for Kallas. A total of up to six parties could make it into the parliament of the Baltic EU and NATO country. The first official results are expected tonight.
Difficult government formation expected
Possible coalitions after the election are likely to be determined in particular by the performance of the two opposition forces – the right-wing populist party EKRE and the left-wing Center Party. The liberal grouping Eesti 200 also has promising chances of moving into parliament for the first time. Even before the vote, pollsters and experts expected the formation of a government to be difficult.
One of the dominant issues in the election campaign was Russia’s war against Ukraine, which Estonia sees as a direct threat to national security. The Baltic state shares an almost 300-kilometer border with Russia. The war also raised thorny questions about how to deal with one’s own society. About a quarter of the approximately 1.2 million inhabitants of Estonia are of Russian origin.