Paper: Isamaa voters polled prefer coalition with Reform to current lineup
While a recent survey found the current coalition government was the most popular from a range of different options, it was only slightly ahead of a coalition consisting of the opposition Reform and Social Democratic (SDE) parties together with Isamaa. Among Isamaa voters, this theoretical lineup was actually more popular than the sitting coalition.
While among respondents to the survey, commissioned by daily Eesti Päevaleht (link in Estonian), who identified themselves as voters of the right-wing Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) expressed by far the most support for the current coalition, at 76 percent, Isamaa voters actually preferred a Reform/SDE/Isamaa lineup.
This alliance polled at 45 percent of voters of Isamaa, a conservative party, compared with the existing coalition, which was favored by 38 percent of Isamaa voters who partook in the survey.
Isamaa were last in office with Reform and SDE down to November 2016, when Taavi Rõivas (Reform) lost a no-confidence vote, with his party then leaving office and being replaced by Center, under Jüri Ratas.
Whereas 25 percent of respondents of the survey supported the status quo, i.e. the coalition of Center, EKRE, and Isamaa, 22 percent favored a lineup of the Reform Party, SDE and Isamaa.
Among men, the first of these was most popular, polling 31 percent of respondents, while among women the second lineup was most favored, with 25 percent of respondents choosing it.
Reform and SDE are in opposition.
A Reform Party-Center Party coalition was supported by 19 percent of respondents.
Among respondents who identified as Center supporters, 41 percent preferred the status quo.
A minimum of 51 seats is needed for a coalition majority at the 101-seat Riigikogu. A Reform-Center pairing would at present hold 58 seats.
The Center/EKRE/Isamaa bloc currently has 56 seats.
Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!
Editor: Andrew Whyte
