Estonia 200
Eesti 200
AbbreviationE200
LeaderMargus Tsahkna
FounderKristina Kallas
Founded3 November 2018 (2018-11-03)
Split fromIsamaa
Social Democratic Party
Membership (2021)Increase 710[1]
IdeologyLiberalism[2]
Social liberalism[3]
Pro-Europeanism[4]
Political positionCentre[5][6][7]
European affiliationRenew Europe
Colours
  •   Indigo
Slogan"Pikk plaan Eestile"
"A Long-term Plan for Estonia"
Riigikogu
14 / 101
Municipalities
40 / 1,717
European Parliament
0 / 7
Party flag
Flag of the Estonia 200
Website
eesti200.ee

Estonia 200 (Estonian: Eesti 200, E200) is a liberal political party in Estonia.[8][9] Since April 2023, the party has been a junior partner in the third Kallas government. The party is a member of the Renew Europe group.[10]

History

In 2017, the initiators of the movement began discussing Estonia's future. The movement's formal foundation arguably took place on 2 May 2018, when their manifesto was first published. According to a mid-June 2018 poll conducted by Turu-uuringute AS, 15% of voters were ready to vote for the movement in the 2019 parliamentary elections.

Former Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas at the 2021 Opinion Festival in Paide, Estonia

On 30 May 2018, former Põlva County governor Igor Taro was appointed rural area coordinator of the movement.[11] On 7 June, the initiators announced that Henrik Raave would lead Eesti 200,[12] and the following day, the manifesto authors registered it as a nonprofit organisation. Its founders were Raave, Taro, as well as Priit Alamäe, Kristiina Tõnnisson, Indrek Nuume and Kristina Kallas, who was elected council head.[13] On 7 August, news broke that Margus Tsahkna, former leader of the Pro Patria party, was set to join Eesti 200.[14]

On 21 August 2018, the Estonia 200 movement decided to form a party later that fall and participate in the March 2019 parliamentary elections.[15] On 3 November, the day the movement became a party, Kristina Kallas was elected as its first chairperson.[16] On 15 May 2019, Triin Saag told Europe Elects that E200 aimed to join what would become the liberal Renew Europe group in the EU Parliament.[17]

In July 2020, Karin Kaup Lapõnin became Estonia 200's executive secretary. On 10 October, the party elected a new board, with Kallas reelected as chair. Kaup Lapõnin, Margot Roose, Lauri Hussar and Marek Reinaas were elected as board members, while Margus Tsahkna, Pirko Konsa and Jaak Laineste were reelected to the board. On 15 October 2022, Hussar defeated Kallas in the party's leadership election and became chair.

In the 2023 parliamentary election, Estonia 200 received 13.3% of the vote and 14 seats in the Riigikogu. Following the election on 7 March, Prime Minister and Reform Party leader Kaja Kallas invited Estonia 200 and the Social Democratic Party for preliminary talks aimed at forming a new coalition government.[18] A coalition agreement between the three parties was reached by 7 April,[19] giving E200 three ministerial seats,[20] and was officially signed on 10 April.[21] On 17 April, the third Kallas government was formally sworn into office.[22]

Ideology and platform

Estonia 200 describes itself as a liberal and progressive party,[23] and has been described as adhering to both social and economic liberalism.[24][25] It is pro-NATO and pro-European, supports same-sex marriage, and considers internet access a human right.[26][27] The party supports community-based investments in renewable energy sources and creating a bond for green funding. It advocates the inclusion of mental health lessons in school curricula, as well as reserving 1% of local budgets for investment projects chosen by residents. Estonia 200 also calls for local government bodies to comprise a mixture of politicians, experts and representatives of interest groups. In addition, it intends to decrease public funding for all political parties.[28]

Election results

Parliamentary elections

Election Votes  % Seats +/− Government
2019 24,447 4.4 (#6)
0 / 101
 New Extra-parliamentary
2023 81,329 13.3 (#4)
14 / 101
 Increase 14 Coalition

European Parliament elections

Election Votes Seats Pos.
#  % ± pp # ±
2019 10,706 3.2
0 / 7
 7th

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "Äriregistri teabesüsteem" (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
    2. ↑ "Estonia" (PDF). cise.luiss.it. 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    3. ↑ "Estonia". Euractive. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
    4. ↑ "Beliefs". Eesti 200. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    5. ↑ "The Global State of Democracy". International IDEA. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    6. ↑ "Estonia's Reform Party starts coalition government talks". AP News. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    7. ↑ "Estonia's centre-right Reform Party comes first in parliamentary election". Euronews. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    8. ↑ Juzefovičs, Jānis; Vihalemm, Triin (August 2020). "Digital humor against essentialization: Strategies of Baltic Russian-speaking social media users". Political Geography. 81: 102204. doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2020.102204. S2CID 219766669.
    9. ↑ Ehin, Piret; Talving, Liisa (2019). "Estonia: A scene set by the preceding national election". In De Sio, Lorenzo; Russo, Luana; Franklin, Mark N. (eds.). The European Parliament Elections of 2019. Luiss University Press. p. 129. Eesti 200, a liberal newcomer, received 3.2% of the vote.
    10. ↑ "Eesti 200". Renew Europe. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
    11. ↑ "Igor Taro asub vedama Eesti 200 tegevust maakondades" (in Estonian). Postimees. 30 May 2018.
    12. ↑ "Eesti 200 tegevjuhiks saab Henrik Raave" (in Estonian). ERR. 7 June 2018.
    13. ↑ "Eesti 200 algatajad asutasid MTÜ" (in Estonian). Postimees. 8 June 2018.
    14. ↑ "Margus Tsahkna kinnitas, et liitub Eesti 200-ga" (in Estonian). ERR. 7 August 2018.
    15. ↑ "Liikumine Eesti 200 loob partei ja läheb valimistele" (in Estonian). ERR. 21 August 2018.
    16. ↑ "Eesti 200 moodustas partei. Erakonna esimeheks valiti Kristina Kallas". Delfi. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
    17. ↑ @EuropeElects (16 May 2019). "Estonia: E200's national spitzenkandidat ("top candidate") in the European election tells @EuropeElects that she in…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
    18. ↑ "Kaja Kallas: Reform inviting Eesti 200, Social Democrats to coalition talks". 7 March 2023.
    19. ↑ "SDE leader: Coalition agreement ready, includes tax changes". 7 April 2023.
    20. ↑ "Coalition agreement: VAT, income tax to rise by 2 percentage points". 8 April 2023.
    21. ↑ "Gallery: Reform, Eesti 200 and SDE sign coalition agreement". 10 April 2023.
    22. ↑ "Riigikogu gives Kaja Kallas mandate to form new government". 12 April 2023.
    23. ↑ "Beliefs". Eesti 200. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    24. ↑ "Estonia 200 unveils its full election candidate list". ERR News. Eesti Rahvusringhääling. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
    25. ↑ Sebald, Christoph; Matthews-Ferrero, Daniel; Papalamprou, Ery; Steenland, Robert (14 May 2019). "EU country briefing: Estonia". EURACTIV. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
    26. ↑ "Eesti 200 programm" (in Estonian).
    27. ↑ "Estonia 200 programme".
    28. ↑ "Eesti 200 plaan" (in Estonian).
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