This compares with the 3-4 percent who would have picked Reinsalu's predecessor as Isamaa chair, Helir-Valdor Seeder, as prime minister – in surveys conducted while Seeder was Isamaa leader, EPL writes.

EPL was citing a survey conducted by pollsters Turu-uuringute.

Current incumbent Kaja Kallas remained most popular choice as prime minister, at 25 percent* though this figure was down on the level she enjoyed in June, the last time Turu-uuringute posed the question, when her rating was 28 percent.

The Reform Party itself polled at 23 percent in August, according to Turu-uuringute.

Fourteen percent of respondents said they would like to see Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) chair Martin Helme as prime minister, a rating significantly lower than that of his party as a whole (24 percent).

Support for Helme was also sharply divided on gender lines; whereas 21 percent of men respondents said they would like the EKRE leader as premier, Turu-uuringute reports, the figure stood at 8 percent for women respondents.

Helme lay slightly behind Jüri Ratas, who polled at 21 percent, again a higher figure than the Center Party as a whole (16 percent).

Ratas, prime minister 2016-2021, is stepping down as Center leader next month.

Three percent of respondents picked Social Democrats (SDE) leader and Interior Minister Lauri Läänements as prime minister, while 2 percent chose Eesti 200 and Riigikogu Speaker Lauri Hussar.

Again, these ratings are behind the leaders' parties as a whole (13 percent and 8 percent respectively).

*The survey was conducted prior to recent reports that the prime minister's spouse has business ties to a company engaged in logistics haulage to the Russian Federation.

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