Most political parties see falling membership in 2019, EKRE bucks trend
The Conservative People's Party pf Estonia (EKRE), as well as Estonia 200 managed to increase their membership through 2019, bucking a trend which saw most parties lose members, ERR's online news in Estonian reports.
Centre has the highest number of members at 14,695, but lost 239 since year end 2018.
Reform is in second place with 11,785 members, a loss of 368 on year, and 661 fewer than three years ago.
EKRE has 8,849 members, up by 56 on year end 2018, and an increase of 749 over the past three years, the highest of any party.
Isamaa lost 430 members on year to 8,073, with well over a thousand leaving the coalition party over the past three years, the highest losses of any of the major political parties.
The Social Democratic Party has 5,470 members at present, down just over 200 since a year ago, and nearly 550 fewer than three years ago.
Of the non-parliamentary parties, the Greens, who had been facing financial issues through the year, are at just over 950 members, a loss of a little more than a dozen on year, and over 100 over the three years.
Estonia 200, which was only created in 2018, had just over 600 members, up just over 20 on year. The party narrowly missed out on Riigikogu seats in the March general election.
Another newly-formed party, the Biodiversity Party, has lost sven members, to 531, and the Free Party, which was represented by six MPs at the previous Riigikogu, now has 523 members, 55 fewer than this time last year.
Five hundred is the benchmark membership figure legally required for a registered political party.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte