(AFP) – According to almost final statistics, the far-right EKRE received just 16 percent of the vote, while Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ center-right Reform Party received 31.6 percent.
Reform will once again need to assemble a coalition with one or more of the parties represented in the 101-seat legislature of the Baltic state in order to maintain its hold on power.
Estonia 200 garnered 13.5 percent of the vote, the Centre Party received 14.7%, the Social Democrats 9.4%, and the Isamaa (Fatherland) party 8.3%.
According to Kallas, this is far better than we had anticipated. “I stand by my statements that we have ruled out a coalition with EKRE.”
A center-right liberal party, Reform is popular among entrepreneurs and young professionals.
It has pledged to increase military expenditure to at least 3% of GDP, lower corporate taxes, and adopt legislation allowing same-sex civil unions.
“We favour an open, welcoming, Western-minded, European, clever nation,” Kallas said in a recent interview with AFP.
“My main rival says that we shouldn’t assist Ukraine, we shouldn’t support Ukraine, we should just seek for our self-interest,” she stated, alluding to the far-right EKRE.
The 1.3 million-strong nation, which borders Russia and is a member of both the EU and NATO, has been in the forefront of international appeals over the last year for further military assistance to assist Ukraine in fending off Moscow’s invasion.
The largest contribution of any nation in terms of its GDP, Estonia provides more than one percent of GDP in military support to Ukraine.
On Sunday, Kallas spoke on assistance to Ukraine, saying, “I assume with such a strong mandate this will not change.”
“Other parties, with the possible exception of EKRE and Centre, have made the same decision. I believe we can agree to disagree here “Added she.