Põlva, Võru and Valga counties have a total of 11 municipalities, of which the largest — with more than 10,000 residents — are Valga, Põlva and Võru rural municipalities, as well as the city of Võru. In these areas, as well as in Tõrva and Otepää municipalities, most major political parties plan to contest the elections with their own candidate lists.

The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) currently assesses its position in South Estonia with the most confidence, promising to field candidate lists in every municipality across all three counties.

"We're going to run in every municipality, under our own banners with our own lists. And if you look at the ratings that have come out, we're heading into these elections with great optimism. Candidate lists are being drawn up — strong lists, especially in Võru Municipality and the city of Võru. We've also got strong candidates coming in Valga," said Mati Kuklane, EKRE's South Estonia regional chair.

With 1,800 members, EKRE's South Estonia district is the largest of any party in the region. The party's internal conflict that flared up last summer had little impact on the district, and since the beginning of the year, more than 130 new members have joined EKRE in South Estonia.

"The current tax hikes — land tax, car tax, value-added tax — these really hit the outer regions like ours the hardest. It all comes down to that, really. People in this region are simply getting poorer," Kuklane added.

The region's lagging development and increasing poverty were also noted by Maido Ruusmann, a Reform Party MP and head of the party's Valga County branch.

"South Estonia is not experiencing the most prosperous economic and demographic times, and we need to be honest about that," he said.

According to Ruusmann, the Reform Party also plans to run with its own candidate lists.

"You need to campaign under your party's name and brand both in good times and bad. We're going into the elections with Reform Party's own lists."

While the Center Party's plans for the upcoming elections are still being finalized, the Social Democratic Party — which has held power in Võru for years and has consistently run with its own list there — now plans to field its own lists even in smaller municipalities where it has previously participated as part of electoral alliances. The same approach is being taken by the Isamaa party.

"In most places, we do plan to run with Isamaa's own lists," confirmed Priit Sibul, Isamaa's Valga County chair and a member of the Riigikogu.

He highlighted key campaign messages for the local elections, such as the education network, which he said is both a national and a local issue. "In terms of healthcare, the big question is whether our hospitals in Valga, Võru and Põlva will remain open and what services they'll be able to provide. Public transportation is also a major concern."

Meanwhile, a new electoral alliance is forming in Põlva Municipality, aiming to take control from the current ruling coalition of the Reform Party, Center Party, Isamaa and the Põlva Areng electoral alliance.

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