Norstat ratings: Center continues to close gap on EKRE
The Reform Party retains more support than any other party, according to the latest survey by pollsters Norstat, which also reveals that the gap in support between the second- and third-placed parties, the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) and Center, has continued to narrow.
The survey, conducted on behalf of NGO Institute for Societal Studies (MTÜ Ühiskonnauuringute Instituut) also finds that Reform's support has nonetheless fallen on the previous week, to 29.7 percent of respondents, from 30.6 percent the week before.
EKRE polled at 21 percent, Center at 19.8 percent.
Thus Reform lies 8.7 percentage points ahead of EKRE, while the latter's lead over Center has shrunk to just 1.2 percentage points.
Eesti 200 picked up bang on 11 percent support from Norstat's respondents, while the Social Democrats (SDE) and Isamaa had little to choose between at 7.2 percent and 7.1 percent respectively.
The Estonian Greens (Rohelised) polled below the 5 percent threshold needed to win seats under Estonia's electoral system, at 1.6 percent, as did Parempoolsed, at 1.5 percent – the party's support has dropped from the over 2 percent rating it had a few weeks ago.
The graph below illustrates the relative changes in party support levels since Norstat started compiling its surveys in their current format (Key: Yellow = Reform, green = Center, black = EKRE, royal blue = Isamaa, red = SDE, light blue = Eesti 200, light green = Estonian Greens, orange = Parempoolsed).
The three parties which make up the current coalition, Reform, Isamaa and SDE, picked up 44 percent of support between them, while EKRE and Center combined, both in opposition currently, picked up 40.8 percent.
Election day is March 5, preceded by six days' advance voting (e-votes cast during this time can be overruled on polling day by attending a polling station).
Only Estonian citizens may vote at a Riigikoug election.
The current, XIV Riigikogu's last working day is next Thursday, February 23.
The coalition remains in office on a caretaker basis after the election and until a new coalition deal is signed.
Norstat conducts its polls on a weekly basis and aggregates them over four weeks. The latest survey covers the period January 17 to February 13 inclusive, and interviewed around 4,000 Estonian citizens of voting age. Norstat claims a margin of error of +/- 1.55 percent.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Barbara Oja
Source: Norstat
