Põlluaas told the "Terevisioon" morning show Monday that the Conservative People's Party (EKRE) has become a niche party the tactics and rhetoric of which are not acceptable for many conservative voters. He added that while Estonia's leading opposition force Isamaa is national conservative, the party also has liberally-inclined camp.

"There is a gap today between Isamaa and EKRE. We need to fill that gap. We need a dignified and normal [conservative] party next to EKRE. We have the people and there is demand for us to fill that gap," Põlluaas noted.

The politician said that hundreds of people have left EKRE after the party kicked out Põlluaas, Jaak Valge, Silver Kuusik and Helle Kullerkupp, and that EKRE's Riigikogu group has lost nearly half its members.

"It is clearly the start of a longer decline. Martin Helme's brilliant and infallible leadership has seen support for EKRE go from 27 percent to 10 percent, and it will continue to fall. EKRE no longer makes it possible to represent national conservative voters or fulfill one's election promises. EKRE has been marginalized and has settled for a corner of the field where no one heeds or wants to work with them. And what is paramount, EKRE does not want to work with anyone either," Põlluaas said.

He said that the founders hope to sign 500 members and register the new party Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (ERK) by the end of June.

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