The center-right Reform Party led by acting Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has emerged victorious in Estonia’s general election, with a comfortable victory that should ensure Tallinn remains one of Ukraine’s most supportive governments in Europe.
According to the results of the nearly completed ballot, Reforma would obtain 37 seats, ahead of the far-right party EKRE, which won 17, in an election marked by national security after the invasion of Ukraine by neighboring Russia and by the resulting socioeconomic problems. of the rising cost of living. The Center Party stands as the third most voted party with 16 seats, while newcomers Estonia 200 were on their way to 14 seats. The Social Democratic and Homeland parties, currently ruling in coalition with Kaja Kallas, received 9 and 8 seats, respectively.
Kallas, 45, is in the spotlight because of her role as one of Kyiv’s staunchest defenders in Europe. The Baltic leader has lobbied NATO partners to send arms to Kyiv and to ramp up Western troops along Europe’s eastern edge. She now faces the challenge of forming a stable coalition to govern the Baltic state of 1.3 million people, or she could be ousted from power by a potential coalition between EKRE and the Center Party.
The options that seem most realistic are to reform his current majority coalition of three parties (Reform, Social Democrats and Homeland), which according to the results on Sunday night would have 54 seats, or to try to reach an agreement with Center or Estonia 200 .
With Kallas at the helm, Estonia would stay the course of embracing more green energy and continuing to accept refugees from Ukraine.
This morning, President Alar Karis has asked the parties to begin talks aimed at forming a government as soon as possible. “The current situation does not favor a long period of uncertainty between the outgoing government packing its bags and the start of the incoming coalition,” the president said in a statement after the elections, according to local media.
