EKRE firmly in second place in party ratings

Photo: Peeter Lilleväli / Põhjarannik

While the opposition Reform Party maintains its considerable lead over other Estonian political parties in ratings, the junior government force Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) is firmly holding on to second place, it appears from a survey commissioned by Postimees and BNS and carried out by pollster Kantar Emor.

The rating of the Reform Party in the latest poll was 35 percent and that of EKRE 19 percent. Both parties have boosted their ratings by 4 percent compared to the end of May.

The rating of the Center Party, senior member of the ruling three-party coalition, has stayed at 15 percent for the past three months. Also, the current 11-percent rating of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) represents relative stability.

In fifth place comes Estonia 200 with 8 percent and in sixth place the smallest parliamentary and government party Isamaa with 7 percent. Estonia 200 has lost three percent and Isamaa one percent since the end of May.

“Rankings are led comfortably by the Reform Party. Although they have been completely out of the spotlight for the past month, they have nevertheless maintained a strong lead; they simply are the biggest opposition party that is supported by those who do not like the present government,” Kantar Emor survey manager Aivar Voog said.

“Aggregate support for the government coalition has grown somewhat, specifically as a result of the increase in the rating of EKRE, which is clearly in second place. Leaders of EKRE have been strongly covered in the media in recent weeks, the other parties have been lacking a distinctive message of their own – they’ve played the role of someone commenting on the utterances of EKRE,” Voog said.

The Center Party, according to Voog, continues to experience a ratings low, having been unable to restore its popularity among non-Estonians and residents of Tallinn, he added.

“Socialists continue in fourth place and Isamaa and Estonia 200 are tied for fifth and sixth, as it has been for the last two months. These three parties also have clearly remained in the shadow of others,” Voog said.

Kantar Emor conducted the survey by interviewing 1,305 voting-age residents of ages 18-84 online from July 18-27.