Silver Kuusik, the recently minted chairman of ERK, told "Aktuaalne kaamera" news that the party's future largely depends on its performance at the 2025 local government council elections.

While ERK does not rule out working with any party, its relationship with the Conservative People's Party (EKRE) remains cool. (ERK was formed by former EKRE members who were either evicted or left the party following infighting – ed.)

"I hope that polite communication will improve relations, as well as that the conservative wing will one day be able to sit down together without tension," Kuusik said.

EKRE leader Martin Helme said that it is difficult to say how the two conservative forces will get on in the future.

"We haven't heard anything fundamental from them. Rather, they've been busy criticizing their former party and family so to speak. Perhaps new vistas will open up if they can step out of that paradigm," Helme commented.

Riina Solman, deputy chair of the Isamaa party, said that the latter's voters value Isamaa's history and are unlikely to prefer newcomers.

"Regarding new parties – new parties in particular – we've heard more promises than we've seen action. Words need to be followed by action for all political parties," Solman noted.

Political scientist Tõnis Leht said that competition has become fierce on the conservative wing.

"Should ERK succeed in getting off the mark, building a party organization and fine-tuning its messages, we might see three national conservative parties at the next Riigikogu elections. That said, everyone will probably have to make do with fewer mandates."

Leht added that the Center Party is also inching closer to the conservative worldview.

"It is by no means out of the question that this more conservatively inclined bloc will give liberal parties a run for their money in terms of summary vote yield," Leht remarked.

The next Riigikogu elections are scheduled to take place in 2027.

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