Centrist MP: Support for govt below critical level

Photo: Erakogu

The newly-released ratings of Estonian political parties show that support for the government is below the critical level, head of the opposition Center Party's parliamentary group Kadri Simson says.

"Technically the coalition parties have a majority in the Riigikogu and they can continue ignoring public opinion, but both they and Estonia would benefit if this did not happen," spokespeople for Center quoted Simson as saying. "Hefty electricity bills are undoubtedly the sorest issue for Estonians at present and the government will have an opportunity to extend a helping hand already on Tuesday when the Center Party-sponsored bill on lowering the electricity excise duty will come up for the first reading in parliament," the Centrist politician said adding that 95 percent of viewers of an ETV forum on the subject deemed lower tax essential. "The government's weakest link at the moment is the minister of economy, Juhan Parts. New problems constantly cropping up in his area of governance are taking the government farther and farther away from the people."

The prime minister's Reform Party whose popularity has sharply declined since last fall succeeded in reversing the trend in February, a nationwide poll TNS Emor conducted for public broadcaster ERR showed.

If parliamentary elections were held tomorrow, 23 percent of the voters would back the Reform Party. A month ago support for the party stood at 20 percent. Reform's popularity began falling last August, from a high 39 percent, and hit the lowest level in the last five years in January.

At the top of rankings are as before the opposition Center Party and Social Democratic Party (SDE) with 26 percent each. In January Center was backed by 28 percent and SDE, by 27 percent of respondents.

Of the four parties represented in parliament Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), the junior partner in the governing coalition, was the least popular with 17 percent. In January it was supported by 16 percent of the polled.

Although the gap between the combined support for the coalition and the opposition parties narrowed in February, the opposition still has a big lead with 52 percent against the coalition's 40 percent. The corresponding percentages in January were 55 percent and 36 percent.

Of non-parliamentary parties the Greens enjoyed the highest support with 4 percent.

TNS Emor conducted face-to-face interviews with 885 voting-age citizens for the survey. The pollster presents the ratings on the basis of respondents who have a party preference, eliminating respondents who do not name any party.