Center general secretary: We need to get our messages out more clearly
General Secretary of the Center Party Anneli Ott said it is more important the party stands up for its principles, than changes direction to gain support. However, she also admitted the party's messaging has become confusing.
Asked about the €1 million financial penalty on the "Otse uudistemajast" broadcast on Tuesday, she said a board meeting had been held on Tuesday and the party plans to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
"There is no denying that there are challenges for the party. Such a duty is certainly difficult," Ott said.
On Tuesday, new polling showed Center's support continues to decline. The general secretary said, while businesses focus on making profits, this is not a political party's top priority. Instead, it is implementing its political views and policies.
"The Center Party has had difficult times for quite a long time. We cannot say that this is a new situation for us. I am positive in this regard. I believe that if this obligation should come, we will find a way out of it," said Ott.
Speaking about the party's financial situation, Ott said it is no longer in debt. "We manage our every daily work well, people are paid, the office works, we hold political events. We publish Kesknädalat, we have our own radio show. It's the big demonstration "No to the car tax". So that is all working," she said.
Ott said the party has needed to carefully manage its expenses for a long time, both in head office and at branches across the country.
European Parliament election campaign budget not confirmed
The party's budget for the upcoming European Parliament election campaign has not yet been set, Ott said.
"Vaatamata sellele, milline on siis selle kohtuotsuse edasine menetlemine, et kas need kohustused tulevad või mitte, on erakond oma valikutes juba mõnda aega olnud väga säästlik," rääkis Ott.
"We know that very many of the candidates of the Centre Party, when they run, whether in local elections, in state elections, then these numbers, that our candidates themselves have contributed are much higher than, for example, in the case of other parties. The situation will be the same here. Regardless of how the court decision will proceed, whether or not these obligations will be imposed, the party has been very frugal in its choices for some time," she said.
Recalling previous EP campaigns, the politician said they were largely based on the candidates, with less emphasis on the party.
Ott said Center voters prefer to communicate wth their candidate face-to-face. "And that's why the Center Party has always been actively out on the streets, doing tent campaigns, our voters expect such an approach," she said.
Member of the European Parliament Jama Toom's (Center) campaign has been visible on the streets of Tallinn for approximately a week.
Ott said the party will choose an election slogan at the end of April.
She would not say who the candidate list would feature alongside Toom, party Chairman Mihhail Kõlvart, and Erki Savisaar.
"I cannot confirm what the list will look like today. It will be decided by the board," Ott said.
The general secretary believes the party will win at least one mandate, but it is aiming for two.
Party's support rating problematic for several years
Discussing Center's polling ratings, Ott said declining support has been a problem for several years. The latest survey put it at 11 percent.
"If we look at the turbulence that the party has weathered, it is even stable, which of course does not mean that it should not rise. And we are working on that. I personally think that this kind of steady standing up for our message and our policies is more important than us running towards somewhere every week in the ratings," she said.
"The most important thing is to work consistently and stand up for the Center Party's principles."
"Why has it happened that the message of the party has not reached the supporters? It was also visible inside the party that the general messages of the party got confused," the politician told "Otse uudistemajast".
"Neither the members of the party nor the voters could understand what exactly the party stands for," she added.
Ott said the party is working on a program that clearly emphasizes its policies and what it stands for.
She said the party has not been able to clearly convey its messages to voters over the last three to four years.
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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Helen Wright
Source: Otse uudistemajast