Losing Tallinn

Ain Seppik, who has served as a Center board member, MP and Estonia's minister of the interior, said that recent events in the Tallinn City Council took the party back to the fall of 1999 when it was not involved in governing Tallinn or Estonia. "But the decline started some time ago," Seppik noted.

He quit the Center Party in 2012 to join the Reform Party a year later. Seppik remains a member of the latter.

Center's founding member and former director of the Citizenship and Migration Board Andres Kollist could not say whether Center losing power in Tallinn is just a surface ripple or whether it will have more serious consequences for the party.

"Perhaps it will be temporary and those who were forced to relinquish control now will soon take it back. But it may also be something more lasting," Kollist remarked.

Heimar Lenk, a long-time ally and confidant of former Center head Edgar Savisaar, believes that Center losing Tallinn is deeply significant. "It may be the end of an era. Jüri Ratas has more or less seen his "crusade against the Center Party" through this Easter week, which began in 2016 when he beat Edgar Savisaar [for the position of party chairman], who only had the one leg and couldn't even come to the party congress," Lenk said.

Savisaar's ex-wife and former Center Party politician Vilja Toomast said that Center being ousted in the capital was a logical culmination of processes rather than a major surprise.

The Center Party, after ruling in the capital Tallinn for 18 years, was ousted on Tuesday, March 26 when Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart failed to survive a no-confidence motion in the Tallinn City Council, which followed Center being fined €1 million for influence peddling in the Porto Franco case. The Reform Party, Social Democratic Party, Isamaa and Eesti 200 are set to launch coalition talks.

Center's golden age and fall

Vilja Toomast, currently an MP for the Reform Party, said that Center's golden age may have lasted until 2005.

"Undoubtedly it was when Edgar Savisaar was still party leader and mayor of Tallinn. When Edgar led the party after the so-called tape scandal (when then Interior Minister Edgar Savisaar was accused of secretly recording conversations with other politicians – ed.), I believe that was one of the most successful periods for the party. The golden age lasted to somewhere in 2005," Toomas said.

Ain Seppik said that the party's successful period started in 2001 when Center came to power in Tallinn again and when it made the national government in 2002. "It was smooth sailing between then and EKREIKE (Center's coalition with the Conservative People's Party and Isamaa – ed.)," Seppik noted.

"What were the party's strengths at the time? An excellent [work] environment, strong solidarity and working together for a common goal. It called to people and attracted young members," Seppik recalled.

Vilja Toomast suggested that the downfall began somewhere around 2005. "It seems to me that Edgar Savisaar only trusted himself from a certain point onward and started pushing away people who had always supported him. I don't know what the reason was."

According to Toomast, Savisaar's grip on reality loosened. "He thought he could do anything. And that is when the decline started. There was grumbling in the party which culminated in eight core members, who had until then been staunch Savisaar supporters, myself included, and who dared tell him that what he was doing was not right, quitting the party in 2012. But he had stopped listening by then, and things went as they went after that," the politician said.

Next to Toomast, who was then called Vilja Savisaar, Siiri Oviir, Ain Seppik, Toomas Varek, Inara Luigas, Lembit Kaljuvee, Deniss Boroditš and Rainer Vakra left Center in 2012.

The rise of Jüri Ratas

But Heimar Lenk said that things started going wrong for Center when Jüri Ratas was elected party chair at its 2016 congress.

"Around 2013, a group of young politicians formed. Jüri Ratas, Kadri Simson and Mailis Reps realized that they were nearing middle-age sitting in the parliament and missing out on the chance to be government ministers. They wanted to rule, but Edgar Savisaar was in their way as the other parties refused to cooperate with Center under his leadership. They needed to turn their backs on their mentor and almost stab him in his. They started to try and get rid of him," Lenk said.

"They succeeded in 2016. Center joined the Social Democrats and Isamaa in a coalition government, and looking at statistics, Center's popularity started waning and the party started on its downward spiral in 2017, management became very weak."

Lenk also suggested that Jüri Ratas' wing was never interested in including Savisaar's people. "They needed new momentum because they absolutely had to be part of the government."

"The process culminated in Center losing ten Riigikogu seats at the 2023 elections, which is a disastrous result in the European context and would have seen any other party chairman resign overnight," Lenk said.

Ain Seppik said that Center's fall started before Edgar Savisaar was overthrown as chairman.

"It had started earlier, but it didn't reflect in [election] results yet as Edgar's momentum was strong. But his replacement as leader brought changes to Center's electorate and political messages," the veteran politician noted.

Seppik said that Savisaar's health failed him and the team around him grew weaker.

He said that Center's long-standing success story came to its natural end.

Vilja Toomast believes it was a mistake when Jüri Ratas, Kadri Simson and Edgar Savisaar failed to agree who should lead the party and move on together as a united team.

"I also think Ratas becoming chairman was a mistake. He was unable to lead and move forward the party as Edgar had done. Jüri failed to fill Edgar's shoes," she suggested.

"I believe that Kadri Simson would have been a stronger leader. She used to work closely with Savisaar, closer than Ratas. And I also believe she would have been more forceful and seen farther as a politician. She would have looked at things politically, not from a populist's point of view. What came next only confirmed who Jüri Ratas is – the dancing, singing and meme-making. It was hard to take seriously and he did not inspire trust," Toomast noted.

Enters Mihhail Kõlvart

The recent major sign of continued decline was the struggle between Mihhail Kõlvart and Tanel Kiik at Center's in-house elections.

Toomast said she believes Tanel Kiik being elected chair would have stopped the decline.

"I would have expected Tanel Kiik to do a better job of bringing people together. While he's young and his Russian isn't perfect, I believe he has more political experience. Even though he lacks leadership practice. But Kiik has proved a quick study. And he does not have the old Center habits," Toomast said.

"Were Mihhail Kõlvart a wiser politician, he would have realized it was not his time to run the party. If Center wanted to keep both Russian-speaking and Estonian voters, Kiik and Kõlvart should have realized they're stronger together. That is why I say the struggle between them was pointless," she noted, adding that it was only natural some people left the party after.

On January 5, MPs Tanel Kiik, Jaak Aab, Andre Hanimägi, Ester Karuse, Enn Eesmaa and Kersti Sarapuu said they would quit the Center Party. Aab, Hanimägi and Kiik joined the Social Democratic Party. Former chair Jüri Ratas left Center on January 29 and joined Isamaa, following in the footsteps of Tõnis Mölder and Jaanus Karilaid. This saw Center's Riigikogu group reduced to just six members.

But Andres Kollist said that Ratas, Kiik and other Centrists rushed their decision to quit.

"The honest and dignified thing to do would have been to swallow the defeat and realize that the outgoing board had made mistakes. There was reason enough to let others have a go at it and still move on together. It is extremely unfortunate how these things have turned out."

Ain Seppik also said that while people have left Center before, they haven't turned on their party as aggressively, having been its leaders no less. "That is new. I suppose considerations of one's future in politics have been at play," he offered.

Asked whether losing ten seats at the previous Riigikogu elections could have been construed as reason enough for Ratas to resign as chairman, Seppik said that Center leaders have not been in the habit of assuming responsibility and taking a step back. "Edgar Savisaar never assumed responsibility for anything. Even when the party lost seats, evictions hit those who demanded the board take responsibility. Ratas continued this tradition," Seppik said.

Future of the Center Party

Talking about the Center Party's future, Ain Seppik suggested it would be an unfortunate development were Center to become a party only representing Russian-speaking people.

"The goal has been to integrate the two groups and keep the peace. But the circumstances have changed by today, and the war in Ukraine has greatly affected Estonian politics."

Seppik believes Center could also lose its Russian-speaking supporters. "Because young Russian people are very different from what they were 20 years ago. It's all about messages and future goals. If they can sort out the latter, I believe Center is not going anywhere."

Seppik explained that Center's messages have been too Tallinn-centric under Kõlvart, and that nationwide problems have not been paid enough attention.

Kollist said that while Center has all but lost its Estonian-speaking supporters by now, he hopes that will not remain the case.

Vilja Toomast suggested that while Center might get a new chairman instead of Kõlvart, it is also possible that the party will go bankrupt and Mihhail Kõlvart will found a new one.

"Let us not forget that there is a million-euro fine hanging over Center, should the Supreme Court uphold it. It is a lot of money for the party, considering the facts that Center's weakened Riigikogu group means less money from the state budget and donations have also dried up."

She also said that she is struggling to understand Kadri Simson's position, whether she would be willing to return to Estonia and get to work rebuilding Center. "She has been removed from Estonian politics and hasn't been very active in Center, at least from an onlooker's perspective," Toomast said, adding that she believes Simson will rather quit Center's ranks at one point.

Vilja Toomast noted that for her, Mihhail Kõlvart represents that part of Russian-speaking people who have not realized that what is happening in Ukraine is Russian aggression. "That it is a war Russia unleashed to destroy an independent country, and the level of support for Putin... I believe Kõlvart has not done a good job. He has failed to explain to Russians and Russian-speaking people living in Estonia that it is not democracy, that we're dealing with an aggressor state, a murderous dictatorship," she said.

But Andres Kollist believes Kõlvart to be a pro-Estonian politician.

"Kõlvart is criticized for the language he speaks at home, and there are attempts to play the nationality card, but I believe he is a good example of how a person who speaks another language as their first is still an Estonian patriot doing the right thing. Society should be supportive of such things instead," Kollist remarked.

Heimar Lenk remains optimistic as concerns Center's future. "Judas betrayed Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane during the Holy Week. But Christ was crucified only to be resurrected," Lenk said.

"I have reason to believe we will see an ideological rebirth. Because Estonia needs a political party geared toward solidarity, understanding one's fellow man and helping those who are not yet doing well," he added.

Lenk said that Kõlvart should top Center's European Parliament candidates list and take the Brussels job if elected.

"Kõlvart could easily go and run the party from there, as is very much customary in Europe today. Several parties have top-ranking members in the European Parliament."

Corruption

ERR also asked why has Center always lived in the shadow of corruption, which has seen several of its members convicted.

"It is easy to let your guard down after staying in power for a long time, and all manner of things can happen. That's just how it is. If such a large party rules for such a long time, you inevitably get people who do not always have the best feel for what's right and how to properly conduct themselves. Also people who prioritize their personal agendas over the party's. It happens," Ain Seppik said.

Vilja Toomast pointed out that Jüri Ratas also failed to break Center's corrupt mentality and conduct. "Even though he promised to put a stop to it. The reality of the situation is that the Supreme Court is processing yet another Center Party corruption scandal."

But Heimar Lenk said it is unfair to associate Center with corruption.

"I'll tell you why Center has come under attack, in short. It's because Center has never cooperated with those who are corrupt," he remarked.

"Edgar Savisaar's first government fell because he did not go along with the new generation of embezzlers and thieves, as we've found in the party. He found himself at odds with the new elite. The latter was always looking out for its own interests first, as we know, while Edgar always thought about the average Estonian, the Estonian people. And these are not just grand words, that's really how it was."

"I was by his side for 20 years, working almost in the same room, and I've seen how the man behaved and thought. He was an honest person through and through who wanted the Estonian people and state to do well, while he refused to play along with the new elite whose main goal was personal wealth and who had mainly self-serving interests."

Andres Kollist said that Center often deployed tricks that brought it votes but were not deemed appropriate, and which caused the other political parties to rule out working with Center.

"Thinking back to the K-kohuke, stacks of firewood or potatoes piled up in Freedom Square... they were not things I liked to see. While such overly populist drives did bring votes, they were hard to stomach for the other part of society. It played a big part in why others didn't want to work with Center."

Savisaar was brilliant at getting people to vote for him, while the price of no one wishing to work with Center was just too high," he added.

Center Party's contribution to Estonian society

What does Heimar Lenk believe has been the Center Party's greatest contribution to Estonian society over the years?

"First, Center has managed to make sure the average person gets by. We have always been opposed to having a group of very destitute people in society. We help those who are not yet doing well so they could have a better life in the future. It has always been Center's core tenet to have an Estonia where everyone could live well," Lenk said.

"Second. We have managed to put back on the agenda Estonia's unfair ownership reform. We even formed a government committee when Ratas was chairman. And the committee's decision was that the ownership reform really did see 75,000 people evicted from their homes."

"And thirdly, the Center Party has had a major hand in keeping the peace so to speak between Estonian- and Russian-speaking people, bringing them closer and seeing a degree of integration," Lenk noted.

Kollist added that the people at Center determined a big part of Estonia's future.

"Throughout my time as a state official – director general of the Citizenship and Migration Board – the Center Party managed to steer many relevant developments in a sensible direction," he said.

"Estonia consciously pursued a policy of motivating former Soviet citizens to take Russian citizenship instead. We are still grappling with the consequences of that. The Center Party wanted to put an end to it. I believe it finally happened thanks to Tiit Vähi's government. That is when the gray passports came. We would have had even more Russian citizens otherwise," Kollist said.

He suggested that including people who speak Russian as their first language has been another one of Center's contributions.

He recalled that then Internal Security Service (ISS) head Jüri Pihl also suggested Savisaar try and involve Russian-speakers to avoid the emergence of undesirable nationalist parties. "I believe Savisaar understood its importance both in terms of votes and national development. And Center has not changed much in those terms," he said in summary.

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