Reports ESTONIA MARKET
Te share tourism contributes to Estonia’s GDP and employment is around eight per cent. Some 3.6 million tourists visited Estonia in 2018 - this figure was an increase of 1.3 per cent on the previous year and the number of foreign tourists accounted for 2.14 million, mostly consisting of Finnish, Russian, German and Latvian visitors to the country.
party EKRE on air, whilst the owner of leading newspaper, Postimees, appointed Peeter Helme (nephew of EKRE leader) as editor in chief, who later asked staff to “moderate” their style. He resigned from the position late last year.
Tis all stems back to early last year when parliamentary elections were held in March. Although the election was won by the opposition centre right Reform party, a coalition government had to be formed after the party failed to win a majority.
Te leader of the Centre Party of Estonia, Juri Ratas (the then Prime Minister) invited EKRE to join a coalition government. Te Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) won 19 of the 101 seats in the March 2019 parliamentary elections.
Kaja Kallas, who would have been the country’s first female prime minister, had offered Ratas and his centre party a coalition where she would
P58 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA
be prime minister and the two parties would share ministerial posts equally.
However, Ratas instead arranged a three-way right wing coalition agreement with the conservative Fatherland party and far right EKRE, which enabled him to stay on as prime minister. Te three now have a total of 56 seats in the 101 member parliament.
EKRE is said to be the fastest growing political force in Estonia and is headed by father and son Mart and Martin Helme, who are staunch white supremacy nationalists.
It managed to win voters over after a major rural party, the People’s Union, shuttered back in 2011 leaving around 15 to 20 per cent of the electorate unrepresented. EKRE promoted lower taxes, increased government spending, anti immigrant policies and pro-family traditionalism and managed to increase its party vote from eight per cent in 2015 to 18 per cent in 2019.
EKRE has highlighted immigration as a key issue. In reality, Estonia is not on any major escape route into Europe and has a very small number of refugees, but EKRE has strict policies saying Estonia will not take any refugees as part of a European Union wide quota. A referendum is also due to be held in 2021 on whether heterosexual only marriages should only be permitted.
Te parties also share ministries between them whilst Finance, Interior, Environment, Rural Affairs and Foreign Trade are headed by EKRE. Mart Helme is Interior Minister and Martin Helme is Finance Minister, which governs the gambling sector.
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