Party ratings: Support for new ruling coalition totals 19 percent
A combined 19.4 percent of Estonia's voters support the incoming new ruling coalition, i.e. the Reform Party and Eesti 200, according to the latest poll commissioned by the nonprofit Institute of Societal Studies and conducted by Norstat.
The latest aggregate results reflect the polling period from February 10 through March 9, meaning the survey does not yet reflect the effects of the change in government.
According to the latest results, 31 percent of eligible voters in Estonia support the opposition Isamaa, 17.2 percent the opposition Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) and 16.4 percent the coalition Reform Party.
This top three is followed in support by the Center Party with 14.5 percent and the newly opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE) with 10.9 percent support. Reform's sole remaining coalition partner, Eesti 200, polled with the lowest level of support among the country's current parliamentary parties at just 3 percent.
Among nonparliamentary parties, Parempoolsed polled at 4 percent support in Norstat's survey, while the Estonian Greens and Koos polled at less than 1 percent each.
Overall, a total of 19.4 percent of respondents supported Estonia's coalition parties, while 73.6 percent supported opposition parties.
Based on current support levels, Isamaa would win 37 seats, EKRE 19 seats, Reform 18 seats, Center 16 seats and the SDE 11 seats in the 101-seat Riigikogu.
The Institute of Societal Studies (MTÜ Ühiskonnauuringute Instituut) and Norstat Eesti AS poll participants regarding their party preferences on a weekly basis, presenting their findings based on the aggregate results of the most recent four weeks' polls.
This reflects a combined sample size of at least 4,000 voting-age citizens of Estonia, with voters without a party preference excluded from the calculations of parties' relative levels of support.
Two is a party, three is a crowd
Estonia's ruling coalition of the Reform Party, Eesti 200 and the Social Democratic Party (SDE) fell apart on Monday after SDE leader Lauri Läänemets said his party had been "thrown out" of the government.
Reform and Eesti 200 leaders have confirmed they plan to move ahead without a third partner and pursue more right-wing policy, which the Social Democrats had apparently been hindering.
The two parties combined have a narrow 52-vote majority in the 101-seat Riigikogu.
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Editor: Urmet Kook, Aili Vahtla
