European Parliament Campaign Costs Add Up For Parties
Although precise figures will only be released after the elections, the four major parties said they will spend from 200,000 to 327,000 euros on European Parliament election campaign.
The Reform Party said it is hoping not surpass the last EP election's cost of 327,000 euros, adding that it will not forecast how many seats it will win, ERR radio reported today.
The Center Party, the Social Democrats and IRL all are hoping for two seats, with one for each of the four major parties seemingly guaranteed.
IRL and the Social Democrats are both planning to spend 300,000 euros, while Estonia's largest party, the Center Party, said the party will stump up 200,000, with candidates themselves also adding to the pot.
The Center Party was the only party to win two seats at the 2009 elections, although both MEPs later quit the party. Reform Party won one seat, as did IRL and the Social Democrats. Independent candidate Indrek Tarand also received a mandate, but if he been registered as a party, he would have won two seats, leaving the Social Democrats empty handed.