Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has won a resounding victory in the parliamentary elections, a victory for one of the EU and NATO’s most pro-Ukraine voices.
Kallas’ liberal Reform Party came out on top in Sunday’s vote, taking 37 seats out of 101 in Estonia’s parliament and putting him in pole position to continue as prime minister and form a new coalition.
The far-right nationalist party Ekre came in second, its best ranking, despite losing two seats to finish in 17th.
Estonia, a country of 1.3 million people that borders Russia, has been one of the EU’s most vocal supporters of Ukraine. Kallas has been highly critical of Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year. His frequent appearances in the international media have made Estonia punch above its weight as he has pushed other leaders to send more weapons to Ukraine, impose swingeing sanctions on Russia and strengthen the defenses of the three Baltic states.
President Alar Karis urged the parliamentary party on Monday to quickly agree on a new coalition. “The current situation does not favor long-term uncertainty between the outgoing government and the coalition that will start,” the non-partisan president said.
Kallas’ landslide victory – Reform gained three seats and increased its vote – gave several chances to gain a majority in parliament, including a three-party coalition with two other liberal groups.
Reform now has 37 seats, Ekre 17, Center 16, the new liberal party Eesti 200 14, and Kallas’ two current coalition partners – Social Democrats and Isamaa – nine and eight. Fifty-one seats are required for a majority.
Estonia’s international image was damaged and the political system was shaken after the 2019 elections when Reform, although also in first place, could not form a coalition. However, Ekre and the Center Party, popular with Estonia’s large Russian-speaking minority, formed a controversial government for two years. The Center Party, the biggest loser in Sunday’s poll, lost 10 seats.
During his time in power, the nationalists insulted many of Estonia’s closest allies including US president Joe Biden and Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin. The coalition collapsed in scandal two years ago, leaving Kallas free to form a coalition and deal with the Covid-19 crisis and the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kallas said on Sunday that Reformasi will talk to all parties but there is no coalition with Ekre. “We are very grateful for the evaluation of our work,” he added.
Estonia is pushing NATO allies to announce a heavier military presence in the Baltic states when they meet for a summit in Vilnius in Lithuania in July. Kallas told the Financial Times last week that western unity is becoming harder to maintain but support for Ukraine must continue until it wins the war against Russia.