List of political parties in Estonia
Encyclopedia
This article lists political parties
in Estonia
.
Estonia has a multi-party system
with numerous parties, in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition government
s.
or the European Parliament
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Estonia
Politics of Estonia
Politics in Estonia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in the Estonian parliament. Executive power is exercised by the Government...
.
Estonia has a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
with numerous parties, in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
s.
Major parties
Parties represented in the RiigikoguRiigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
or the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
| Name | Leader | Ideology | MPs Riigikogu The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu... |
MEPs Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,... |
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| Estonian Reform Party Estonian Reform Party The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature... Eesti Reformierakond |
RE | Andrus Ansip Andrus Ansip Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of Estonia, and chairman of the market liberal Estonian Reform Party .-Early life and career:... |
Classical liberalism Classical liberalism Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets.... |
33 | 1 | |
| Estonian Centre Party Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members.... Eesti Keskerakond |
K | Edgar Savisaar Edgar Savisaar Edgar Savisaar , is an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the leader of the Centre Party. He has served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia, Minister of Internal affairs and Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications... |
Centrism Centrism In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between... |
26 | 2 | |
| Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica is an Estonian Liberal Conservative political party. It was founded on 4 June 2006 when two conservative parties, Pro Patria Union and Res Publica merged. Up to the 2007 parliamentary elections, the party held 32 seats out of 101 in the Riigikogu and one of... Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit |
IRL | Mart Laar Mart Laar Mart Laar is an Estonian statesman, historian and a founding member of the Foundation for the Investigation of Communist Crimes. He was the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002, and is the leader of the conservative party Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica... |
Liberal conservatism Liberal conservatism Liberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements. As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different... |
23 | 1 | |
| Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party (Estonia) The Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic party in Estonia, led by Sven Mikser. It has been a member of the Party of European Socialists since 16 May 2003 and a member of the Socialist International since November 1990.... Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond |
SDE | Sven Mikser | Social democracy Social democracy Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism... |
19 | 1 | |
Minor parties
- Estonian Christian DemocratsEstonian Christian DemocratsThe Party of Estonian Christian Democrats , formerly known as the Estonian Christian People's Union is a political party in Estonia, which is not represented in the Riigikogu . The party has 2,167 members. Its chairman is businessman Aldo Vinkel...
(Erakond Eesti Kristlikud Demokraadid) – christian democraticChristian DemocracyChristian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
(member European Christian Political MovementEuropean Christian Political MovementThe European Christian Political Movement, abbreviated to ECPM, is a political party at European level that unites national parties from across Europe that share Christian democratic politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's...
) - Estonian GreensEstonian GreensEstonian Greens is an Estonian green political party. Valdur Lahtvee, an organizer, reported that on 2006-11-01, more than 1000 members had been recruited for the Green Party Initiative Group to register as a political party under Estonian law, opening doors for running at the coming parliament...
(Erakond Eestimaa Rohelised), ecologistGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy... - People's Union of EstoniaPeople's Union of EstoniaThe People's Union of Estonia is a political party in Estonia, currently led by Margo Miljand.In the 2003 parliamentary election, the party collected 64,463 votes, which made 13.0% share of all votes and 13 mandates out of 101. In 2007's election, this dropped to 39,211 votes , and six seats in...
(Eestimaa Rahvaliit), agrarianAgrarianismAgrarianism has two common meanings. The first meaning refers to a social philosophy or political philosophy which values rural society as superior to urban society, the independent farmer as superior to the paid worker, and sees farming as a way of life that can shape the ideal social values... - Estonian United Left PartyEstonian United Left PartyThe Estonian United Left Party is a political party in Estonia.-History:In June 1988 Communist Party of Estonia , i.e. the Estonian branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, chief Karl Vaino was replaced by the reform-minded Soviet Ambassador to Nicaragua Vaino Väljas, the former...
(Eestimaa Ühendatud Vasakpartei) – socialist, Russian minority, member European Left - Estonian Independence PartyEstonian Independence PartyThe Estonian Independence Party is a nationalist political party in Estonia. The party, founded in 1999, is a successor to the Estonian Future Party. One of the principal aims of the party is the withdrawal of Estonia from the European Union. The party is currently without parliamentary...
(Eesti Iseseisvuspartei) – eurosceptic, nationalist - Russian Party in EstoniaRussian Party in EstoniaThe Russian Party in Estonia is a minor Estonian political party, drawing just 1,082 votes in the 2007 elections. It is one of the two parties which claim to represent the Russian minority in Estonia. This party is more conservative and nationalistic, compared with the United People's Party that...
(Vene Erakond Eestis)
Former parties
- Communist Party of EstoniaCommunist Party of EstoniaCommunist Party of Estonia was a political party in Estonia.EKP was formed November 5, 1920, as the Central Committee of the Estonian Sections of the Russian Communist Party was separated from its mother party. During the first half of 1920s the hopes to an immediate world revolution were still...
(Eestimaa Kommunistlik Partei) - Communist Party (on CPSU platform)Communist Party of Estonia (1990)Communist Party of Estonia is a political party in Estonia. The party, initially known as Communist Party of Estonia Communist Party of Estonia (in Estonian: Eestimaa Kommunistlik Partei, in Russian: Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Estonii) is a political party in Estonia. The party, initially known...
(Eestimaa Kommunistlik Partei (NLKP platvormil)) - Constitution PartyConstitution Party (Estonia)The Constitution Party , known until 11 February 2006 as the Estonian United People's Party , was a political party in Estonia, mainly supported by the Russian minority.The party held 6 seats in the Riigikogu from 1999 to 2003...
(Konstitutsioonierakond) - Estonian Country Union (Eesti Maaliit)
- Estonian Democratic Labour Party (Eesti Demokraatlik Tööerakond)
- Estonian Greens (Eesti Rohelised)
- Estonian Labour PartyEstonian Labour PartyThe Estonian Labour Party was a centre-left political party in Estonia. It emerged in 1917 with the merger of the Estonian Radical Socialist Party and Estonian radicals from Petrograd and remained an important coalition party until 1932, when it merged with other centrist parties to form the...
(Eesti Tööerakond) - Estonian Left PartyEstonian Left PartyEstonian Left Party was a left socialist political party in Estonia.-History:In June 1988 Communist Party of Estonia , i.e. the Estonian branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, chief Karl Vaino was replaced by the reform-minded Soviet Ambassador to Nicaragua Vaino Väljas, the former...
(Eesti Vasakpartei) - Estonian National Independence Party (Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei"")
- Estonian Party of Pensioners and Families (Eesti Pensionäride ja Perede Erakond)
- Estonian People's PartyEstonian People's PartyThe Estonian People's Party was a centre-right political party in Estonia. Its predecessor, the Estonian Popular Progress Party was founded by Jaan Tõnisson in 1905 as one of the first Estonian political parties. After the Revolution of 1905, it remained the only legal political party in Estonia...
(Eesti Rahvaerakond) - Estonian Social Democratic Party (Eesti Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Partei)
- Estonian Social Democratic Independence PartyEstonian Social Democratic Independence PartyThe Estonian Social Democratic Independence Party was a social democratic political party in Estonia , which advocated Estonian independence. The party was founded in May 1990. The party was led by Marju Lauristin....
(Eesti Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Iseseisvuspartei) - Estonian Social Democratic Workers' PartyEstonian Social Democratic Workers' PartyThe Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party was a political party in Estonia. This party, founded on the platforms of patriotism, Estonian independence, and social justice, wrote the first Estonian constitution....
(Eesti Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Tööliste Partei) - Farmers' Union (Põllumeeste Kogu)
- Independent Royalist Party of EstoniaIndependent Royalist Party of EstoniaThe Independent Royalist Party of Estonia was a frivolous political party in early post-Soviet Estonia.The party, widely considered a humorous expression of protest, was surprisingly successful in the first post-Soviet elections of Riigikogu, gaining 8 seats after spending a grand total of 1 kroon...
(Sõltumatud Kuningriiklased) - Libertas EstoniaLibertas EstoniaLibertas Estonia was a political party in Estonia. It intended to contend the 2009 European Parliament elections under a common banner with Libertas.eu.-Estonian Blue Party :...
(Libertas Eesti Erakond) - National Coalition Party Pro PatriaNational Coalition Party Pro PatriaNational Coalition Party Pro Patria was an Estonian political party founded in 1992 and merged in 1995 into Pro Patria Union.The National Coalition Party 'Pro Patria' was founded in September, 1992, as four electoral cartel partners merged:...
(Rahvuslik Koonderakond "Isamaa") - People's Party of Republicans and ConservativesPeople's Party of Republicans and ConservativesPeople's Party of Republicans and Conservatives was an Estonian political party, which existed under this banner from 1994 to 1998.- History :...
(Vabariiklaste ja Konservatiivide Rahvaerakond) - Popular Front of Estonia (Rahvarinne)
- Pro Patria UnionPro Patria UnionThe Pro Patria Union was a conservative political party in Estonia. The party was founded on 2 December 1995 by merging the Estonian National Independence Party and the National Coalition Party Pro Patria .On April 4, 2006, representatives of the Pro Patria Union and the representatives of Res...
(Isamaaliit) - Res Publica PartyRes Publica PartyRes Publica Party was a political party in Estonia that self-identified as conservative and therefore member of IDU, but considering its vague platform for 2003 election, the genuineness of this ideology is disputed...
(Erakond Res Publica) - Russian Social Democratic PartyRussian Social Democratic Party of EstoniaThe Russian Social Democratic Party of Estonia was a social democratic political party in Estonia . On September 8, 1989, the party merged into the Estonian Social Democratic Party....
(Vene Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Partei Eestis) - Swedish People's LeagueSwedish People's League in the Baltic Sea ProvincesSwedish People's League in the Baltic Sea Provinces was a political party in Estonia, representing interests of the Swedish minority population. The party was founded in 1917. In 1918 it began publishing Kustbon. In March 1919, the party helds its congress....
(Rootsi Rahvaliit) - Vaps Movement (Eesti Vabadussõjalaste Keskliit)
See also
- List of political parties by country
- Liberalism in EstoniaLiberalism in EstoniaThis article gives an overview of liberalism and centrism in Estonia. It is limited to liberal and centrist parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme...