End of year ratings: Support for EKRE falls for second consecutive month
The most important ratings change in December saw support for opposition leader the Conservative People's Party (EKRE) dropping to 18 percent, the nationwide Kantar Emor poll found. EKRE lost ground among Russian-speakers, while the Center Party found traction in the voter group.
The ruling Reform Party was the most popular in December with 30 percent of the potential vote, down one point from a month ago.
The opposition leader EKRE clocked a rating of 18 percent, which is some way off its October result of 25 percent. The party had 22 percent in November. EKRE's rating was around 18 percent this summer.
The Center Party has managed to gain some ground in the last two months for 16 percent, which puts EKRE within their reach.
Kantar Emor survey expert Aivar Voog said that Center have managed to improve the party's standing with Russian-speaking voters, going from 40 percent in November to 54 percent in December.
Support for EKRE in the voter group fell from November's 24 percent to 11 percent in December.
Eesti 200 is in fourth place, with its rating of 14 percent unchanged for the last three months in the Kantar Emor poll.
Reform's junior coalition partners the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and Isamaa are in fifth and sixth on 9 percent and 8 percent respectively, up from November's 8 an 6 percent.
The Estonian Greens were supported by 3 percent of respondents and Parempoolsed by 1 percent in December.
Support for the coalition came to 47 percent and that for the two opposition parties 34 percent. Liberal-leaning parties (Reform, Eesti 200 and SDE) had the support of 53 percent of voting-age citizens and conservatives (EKRE, Isamaa and conditionally also Center) 42 percent.
Reform on top in Tallinn, Center in Ida-Viru
The Reform Party has the support of 35 percent, EKRE 19 percent and Eesti 200 15 percent of Estonian-speaking voters. Center was backed by 10 percent of ethnic Estonians, Isamaa 9 percent and SDE 8 percent.
SDE took 16 percent of the non-Estonian-speaking vote, behind Center and ahead of EKRE.
Citizens of Tallinn backed the Reform Party (29 percent) and Center (22 percent) ahead of Eesti 200 (17 percent) and EKRE (11 percent). SDE got 10 percent and Isamaa 6 percent of the Tallinn vote.
The Center Party was once again the most popular in Ida-Viru County on 25 percent. EKRE's support in the county dropped from November's 28 percent to 11 percent in December.
The "cannot say" vote has been removed from the results to have them reflect potential Riigikogu elections results. Voters without a clear preference made up 30 percent of those questioned in December, up from 28 percent a month earlier; 23 percent of Estonians and 53 percent of non-ethnic Estonians were undecided.
With the "cannot say" vote factored in, Reform's rating would come to 21 percent, EKRE's to 13 percent and Center's to 11 percent.
The ERR-commissioned survey was carried out December 8-16 during which period 1,510 eligible citizens between the ages of 18 and 84 were polled, half of them online and half over the phone. The maximum margin of error is +/- 2.52 percent.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
