Martin Helme: Some potential candidates support EKRE agenda
According to the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) Parliamentary Group Chairman Martin Helme, some potential presidential candidates currently under consideration are supportive of EKRE's agenda.
Responding to BNS' question regarding potential presidential candidates' attitudes towards EKRE's primary positions, Helme said that "...they are, on the whole, well received. We have put forward several names ourselves, but I don't see hostility among those who have come from elsewhere either."
At the top of EKRE's agenda are the opposition to the gender-neutral Registered Partnership Act, immigration as well as moving further away from the EU, among other issues. Mart Helme, the chairman of the party, told BNS on Saturday that a presidential candidate would have to be at least neutral if not positive regarding EKRE's positions in order to earn the party's votes.
According to Martin Helme, parliamentary group leaders agreed on Monday that if the groups did not reach an agreement on a concrete name by Tuesday, several names would be put forward and sifted through, in which case each group could veto one candidate. "This means that the least applicable [candidates] will be eliminated," explained the younger Helme. "Some names are already known, but more could be added by tomorrow; all kinds of suggestions were being made."
Helme stated that he was optimistic about finding a candidate acceptable to all parties. In his words, "some very specific names" were suggested at the groups' meetings on Monday already.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS