Gallery: Parempoolsed introduce candidates, key election campaign messages
Estonia's newest political party, Parempoolsed, officially kicked off the election campaign for its first Riigikogu elections on Saturday.
Founded in August 2022, the nascent party launched its first ever election campaign with an event in Tallinn on Saturday, where it rolled out the party's campaign slogan, key messages as well as introduced its candidates.
In a speech at Saturday's event, Parempoolsed chair Lavly Perling, who was elected to lead the party at its founding last summer, said that political parties are competing to indiscriminately make promises and distribute support, free stuff and services. The party, however, believes that the state should not be making decisions on people's behalf, and that the fewer people are dependent on support, the stronger the people.
"Today's parliamentary parties are buying voters' votes with borrowed money," Perling said. "The budget is out of balance, loans are being taken to cover fixed costs, and no one dares make necessary decisions. They sure are promising things to everyone, though — and how. This road is robbing us of our financial independence."
According to the party chair, a strong economy is essential to ensuring security, and poverty is a security risk.
"The Parempoolsed have solutions," she said. "Let's maintain our world's most competitive tax system, establish entrepreneurial peace, limit thoughtless legislation, limit the expansion of the public sector. Let's keep Estonia open and thus attract investments and innovation here."
In her speech, Perling also emphasized the importance of a strong education system, which the Parempoolsed want to improve by linking the education system more closely to the labor market.
"Let's listen to employers to ensure that their needs and expectations reach the education system," she said. "That way supply and demand will be aligned, and more people can be involved with what they actually know how and want to do."
Parempoolsed submitted their candidate lists to the State Electoral Office (RVT) on Thursday.
The 2023 Riigikogu elections, in which all of the Estonian parliament's 101 seats are up for election, will be held on Sunday, March 5.
MPs are elected to the Riigikogu for a four-year term.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla