Poll: Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu's rating as top prime minister pick rises
Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu has retained his first place as most preferred prime ministerial candidate, according to a recent survey, while Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform), Center Party chair Mihhail Kõlvart, and Conservative People's Party of Estonia Martin Helme (EKRE) are in a three-way tie for second place, at 13 percent each, Delfi reported.
The poll, conducted by Turu-uuringute AS on behalf of portal Delfi, found 25 percent of respondents backing Reinsalu, a former foreign minister and chair of the opposition Isamaa party.
This followed a slight dip in support, Delfi reported.
Reinsalu's support has also risen by 8 percentage points among his own party's supporters, since the preceding month, from 72 percent to 80 percent.
Alongside Reinsalu's gains, another opposition leader, Martin Helme (EKRE), has also seen an increase in support, by 3 percentage points over the month, to 13 percent in February.
A notable trend in the survey is the rise of Martin Helme's support among non-ethnic Estonians, meaning mainly Russian-speaking citizens, which tripled from 4 percent in January to 12 percent this month, the survey found.
This marks a significant shift, as Helme's backing among non-ethnic Estonians is now nearly on par with his support among ethnic Estonians.
Prime Minister and Reform Party leader Kristen Michal has the exact same level of support as Helme, standing at 13 percent, and his rating has not significantly improved since autumn.
Michal also has slipping support within his own party at present, from 64 percent of Reform supporters in January, to 59 percent this month.
The third opposition party leader, Mihhail Kõlvart (Center), also polled at 13 percent according to Turu-uuringute, which suggests that no single challenger has emerged as the dominant alternative to Reinsalu.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the two other parties in the coalition alongside the Reform Party continue to have low support.
Social Democratic Party (SDE) leader Lauri Läänemets polled at 7 percent, one percentage point ahead of Eesti 200 chair and Education Minister Kristina Kallas.
The Turu-uuringute AS was conducted from February 7 to 17.
Of reasons for Reinsalu's continued high level of support, this could include the current security and geopolitical situation. Isamaa, which has the benefit of being in opposition, itself has also consistently polled highest of Estonia's political parties in recent months.
The next elections in Estonia are to the 79 local municipalities, in October this year.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
