Center Party continues on top in fresh monthly ratings
According to Turu-uuringute AS, very little changed in the monthly party popularity ratings, despite a number of significant events. The poll was closed shortly before Center Party Chairman Edgar Savisaar was suspected of bribery.
The Center Party remained on top with 29 percent, followed by the ruling Reform Party on 21 percent. The Social Democrats gained one point and are now on 15 percent while IRL dropped one point to 9 percent.
The Free Party has a 11-percent-backing, the same as in August.
The Port of Tallinn corruption case, which includes many Reform Party members or sympathizers, failed to lower the party's ratings. Savisaar's corruption case, which saw the Internal Security Service and the Prosecutor's Office name Savisaar as a suspect, asking the court to suspend him in office as Tallinn mayor and the release of Eston Kohver both happened after the popularity study for September closed.
Juhan Kivirähk, of Turu-uuringute AS, said it would be regrettable of the Estonian voter had turned so dismissive of political life that even large-scale corruption cases fail to have an impact.
In September, the Social Democrats swapped out three of their four ministers, bringing in party head Jevgeni Ossinovski as minister for health and labor. Farmers held a protest in front of Toompea and the migration crisis took a turn for the worse in Europe.
Editor: J.M. Laats