Far right set to enter government for first time in Estonia
A far-right eurosceptic populist party sealed a deal to be part of the next government in a three party coalition in Estonia.
The Estonian Conservative People’s Party (EKRE), said its coalition with the centrist Center Party and the conservative Fatherland would create a majority government in Estonia, a member of both NATO and the European Union.
Under the three-way deal, Center leader Juri Ratas would be prime minister, a role he held from November 2016 until Estonia’s March 3 general election. Each of the coalition partners would have five ministers in the 15-member Cabinet.
Their coalition would control 57 of the 101 seats in parliament, a comfortable majority. However, Estonia’s president must formally task the three parties with forming a government to put them in power.
President Kersti Kaljulaid said Friday that she gave the assignment to the head of the center-right Reform Party, the election’s top vote-getter.
The populist EKRE party is run by a father and son, chairman Mart Helme, 69, and vice chairman Martin Helme, 42.
Both men would have a substantial say in the Cabinet. Mart Helme would be interior minister and Martin Helme would serve as finance minister.
The party has advocated abolishing the law recognizing same-sex civil unions, demanded changes to the country’s abortion law and fiercely opposed European Union quotas for taking in asylum-seekers.
