Support for Reform Party continues to grow

Chairman of the Reform Party Kaja Kallas Photo: Sander Ilvest

Support for Estonia’s opposition Reform Party continues to rise, while that of runner-up Conservative People’s Party (EKRE), a junior member of the three-party government coalition, has declined slightly, a survey commissioned by Postimees and BNS and carried out by pollster Kantar Emor reveals.

The survey carried out in August indicates that support for the Reform Party stood at 36.8 percent, up over 2 percent compared to July. EKRE in second place garnered the support of 17.6 percent of the respondents, 2 percent less than in July.

The Center Party, senior member of the coalition, saw its support grow from 15.3 percent in July to 16 percent in August. The Social Democratic Party, too, improved its standing from 10.8 percent in July to 13 percent in August. Support for the Isamaa party, the second junior member of the coalition, however, declined 2 percent in August, compared with the 6.8 percent it garnered in July. 

Support for the non-parliamentary Estonia 200, the Greens and the Richness of Life Party came in at 6.9 percent, 3.5 percent and 1 percent respectively, whereas the Free Party was only supported by around 0.5 percent of the respondents.

The combined support for the three-party government coalition in August was 38.4 percent.

“Party rankings are firmly topped by the Reform Party, support for which has stood at around 35-36 percent in the summer months. While the combined support of the government coalition was recovering in July and rose to over 40 percent for the first time in a long time, events in mid-August – a conflict between [ministers] Mart and Martin Helme and a state official as well as tensions in the government coalition – have reversed this trend and given the larger opposition parties an opportunity to once again increase their popularity. The cumulative support for the government coalition first and foremost declined among women as well as among the youngest and oldest group of respondents. EKRE and Isamaa lost the most ground in August,” Kantar Emor survey manager Aivar Voog said. 

Kantar Emor conducted the survey by interviewing 1,161 voting-age residents of ages 18-84 online from August 15-21.