Henn Põlluaas, Ants Frosch join Isamaa
Long serving former Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) politicians Henn Põlluaas and Ants Frosch announced Thursday that they are joining the opposition Isamaa party.
The pair had since last summer been members of the breakaway Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (ERK).
Põlluaas, a former Riigikogu speaker, Frosch, and Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu made the announcement during a joint press conference Thursday.
Põlluaas said: "The course of the Estonian government under the current administration is not the right one."
"Isamaa has demonstrated that it is a serious alternative to the current government coalition. The challenges facing Estonia today can only be resolved via policies rooted in national and conservative values. For this reason, we have decided to join Isamaa and will work together with the party's Riigikogu faction moving forward," he went on.
Frosch said: "Through this year, thanks to the tax hikes imposed by the government, the Estonian people will lose the equivalent of one month's pay."
"What we need is an economic policy which drags Estonia out of recession and does not rely on taxing people into poverty. In addition to signing Isamaa's application to join, I am also fully endorsing the party's pledge to repeal the car tax as their first action, after coming to power," Frosch continued.
Reinsalu welcomed Põlluaas and Frosch's decision to join the party, saying: "Isamaa's team is growing, which will allow the party to stand up more strongly for economic growth and security. Isamaa offers a positive alternative to the current coalition, and we intend to prove that in both this year's local government elections and the 2027 Riigikogu elections."
Both Põlluaas and Frosch confirmed that they plan to run in this fall's local elections, on Isamaa's list.
The two men had been members of EKRE until June 2024 but left due to internal disagreements and subsequently joined the newly formed ERK, only to depart the party at the end of the year.
Põlluaas was Riigikogu speaker 2019-2021.
The ERK was formed at a time of mass departures from EKRE, which included the party's sole MEP, Jaak Madison, joining the Center Party.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Aleksander Krjukov
