Põlluaas took 93 votes to become the fledgling conservative force's first leader. The politician took a few dozen more votes than opposing candidate Jaak Valge, also formerly of EKRE. Silver Kuusik and Paul Puustusmaa will be the new party's deputy chairmen. ERK will also have a board made up of 13 members.

Põlluaas told ERR that his goal is to take the new party to the top of Estonian politics, while it is first necessary to take the procedural steps necessary for forming a party.

"The most important thing is to take care of all the necessary paperwork and put together a thorough and future-oriented program which would not need to be updated immediately. We need to sign up 500 members to officially register the party. We are so close that I'm sure it constitutes a new record in Estonia – we've signed up almost 500 members in just two weeks," Põlluaas said.

He said that the party's first challenge will be the local elections in 2025, while ERK are already represented in the Riigikogu and many local governments. The party's founding group includes former Conservative People's Party (EKRE) members who were either kicked out or left in the wake of a recent split.

Põlluaas said that he plans to contrast to how EKRE is managed in terms of his leadership style.

"The party's leader, its chairman is not a presidential or authoritarian figure who only consults a few people when making decisions and forces their will on the board, Riigikogu group and council. We will make decisions together and hold debates if necessary. That is what lends a party strength," Põlluaas noted.

ERK board member Jaak Valge listed a good rapport with the media, the nature, image and appearance of a calm and stable person as the new chairman's strengths. He's a well-rounded brain and not one to make hasty decisions. He also does not persecute people and weighs people based on merit, being rather immune to toadying.

Silver Kuusik, whose decision to run against Martin Helme for EKRE chairman was seen as one of the catalysts for the split, said that it is a matter of days before ERK will sign the necessary 500 members. The incoming party has registered 435 members in just two weeks.

A considerable part of ERK's members have recently left EKRE or been kicked out of the far-right opposition party.

"We also have quite a few people who have not been EKRE members, whether because of its management or communication style or policy. As concerns policy, we want to pursue green nationalism or conservative conservation as things that were underrepresented in EKRE," Jaak Valge said.

The Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives plan to hold a new official party congress and elect the board and leaders again in the coming months.

The board of EKRE decided on June 11 to terminate the membership of Henn Põlluaas, Jaak Valge, Silver Kuusik and Helle Kullerkupp following in-house tensions. EKRE leader Martin Helme explained that Põlluaas, Kuusik and Valge were kicked out over efforts to undermine the party's reputation and its campaign, while Kullerkupp was found to have repeatedly and seriously violated financial discipline as a regional chair.

Hundreds of people have quit EKRE in their wake, including MEP Jaak Madison.

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