Helme said that Tuesday, when EKRE parted ways with deputy chair Henn Põlluaas, MP Jaak Valge and chairman candidate Silver Kuusik, was one of the saddest and toughest days in the party's history.

He said that there had been fundamental differences over the party's political platform and how to execute it for some time, which led to a situation where the camps did not find it possible to move on together.

The EKRE head said that a small group of core members wished to change the party's decision-making style so that matters would be discussed in a wide circle, at length and responsibility dispersed.

Helme noted that while this was served as an attempt at democratization, it would constitute an effort to dilute responsibility and lead to paralysis.

The second fundamental change sought by the opposing camp, according to Helme, was altering EKRE's political messages and behavior to make it palatable for its political competitors and "Estonia's left-wing mainstream media."

"This was hoped to land EKRE a place in a coalition. I joined most members of the board in whishing to stay true to our principles and combative stance. I am convinced this is also want most of our members would want."

Helme also said that Valge, Põlluaas and Kuusik had to leave the party not because they wished to set up an opposing candidate, but because they spread blatant lies about the party and their fellow members.

He described as especially underhanded Henn Põlluaas' claim according to which Mart Helme, who is EKRE's deputy chair and Martin Helme's father, justified or voiced support for Putin's war in Ukraine at an EKRE board meeting.

"No EKRE board member, except those who wished to see Silver Kuusik become chairman, has heard anything of the sort, which they can assure you of themselves. Wielding the liberals' outlandishly false talking points against one's fellow EKRE members, as the so-called Kremlin card has been played against us for years, is not just low, it also directly clashes with the party's statutes," Helme said.

The conservative party boss also said that the opposing camp had a plan B should the chairman election not go their way.

"Their plan B was to leave ERKE and create a new party. In this light, it is perhaps less surprising that they resorted to liberal slogans to drag their own party through the mud. I consider it a betrayal."

But Helme also admitted that EKRE is in for a rough time, and that a number of people will surely leave the party.

"We must also come to terms with a slump in ratings in the short term. The board realizes this. But we also understand that had we allowed those who resort to such things to continue to undermine the party, the damage would be greater still," Helme said in terms of why EKRE decided to evict Henn Põlluaas, Jaak Valge and Silver Kuusik.

Frosch quits, Laneman on the fence

According to the business register, EKRE MP Ants Frosch quit the party on June 12, which Frosch confirmed in a laconic comment. The politician said it was a personal decision and did not wish to elaborate further.

Ants Frosch ran in the 2023 Riigikogu elections in Võru, Valga and Põlva counties. He received 2,619 votes, making it the second-best result among EKRE candidates after Rain Epler, who received 3,366 votes. This result secured his seat in the Riigikogu.

Another EKRE MP, Ants Laneman, said that he has not yet decided whether to follow the example of MEP Jaak Madison and quit the party.

The Riigikogu member said that he does not understand why it was necessary to evict Põlluaas, Valge and Kuusik, adding that EKRE today is not the party that he joined back in the day.

"What also saddens me is that evicting a chairman candidate just days before in-house elections does not make the party look good," the politician said.

By 10 a.m. on June 12, EKRE had lost 65 members compared to a week ago, most of them quitting in the last 24 hours.

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