Small parties face steep deposit hurdle in bid for Riigikogu seats
Parties outside parliament are weighing bids for next spring's Riigikogu elections, with some already committing and others still undecided, but all face the same major hurdle: raising the candidate deposit required to get on the ballot.
The board of the Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (EERK), founded in 2024 by former EKRE members, decided unanimously a few weeks ago that the party will participate in the March Riigikogu elections with its own list. EERK chair Rein Suurkask said the plan is to field lists in all electoral districts.
"The goal is to clear the electoral threshold — five percent. That is the main objective, and there's no room for doubt. We are of the view that we won't settle for less; that five percent is very important for us," Suurkask said.
EERK is currently assembling its lists, and the campaign is being prepared. The entire program will be based on the party's core principle that the state exists for its people, Suurkask added.
The Estonian Greens will also definitely participate in the Riigikogu elections, said party co‑leader Rasmus Lahtvee.
"For a political party, the most important goal is to participate in elections, gain a mandate, and then implement decisions based on its worldview," Lahtvee said.
However, Lahtvee sees the deposit requirement — which must be paid to register candidates — as a major challenge. The deposit equals one Estonian minimum monthly wage per candidate. According to initial calculations, the Greens may need around €120,000 if they run a full list.
"A party that is not funded by taxpayers must pay this amount itself, and if it doesn't get elected, it loses the money. In the European Parliament elections, the Greens went to court and received interim relief. There is still no final decision from Europe, but for those elections, the European Commission said the amount was clearly excessive," Lahtvee noted.
The Estonian National Liberals–Free Party has also recently contacted the Chancellor of Justice regarding the deposit issue. Party chair Märt Meesak said political competition should be more open.
"Half joking, if you don't have a rich mother‑in‑law handing you money from a cupboard or a wealthy uncle in America, it's pretty difficult. I think this is a serious problem for Estonian democracy, because this way we never get new people or new ideas. Right now, we're not checking the seriousness of candidates — only the thickness of their wallets — and that's not good for democracy," Meesak said.
Meesak added that although the party has become more active recently, the board will likely make a final decision on participating in the Riigikogu elections in November. By then, the Chancellor of Justice's response on the deposit issue should also be available, he said.
Last autumn, there was talk that Plan B might enter the Riigikogu elections as a party, but that plan has since collapsed. Plan B's Narva representative Urbo Vaarmann said the group will not participate with its own list. However, members may run as independents or on another party's list. Vaarmann added that Plan B aims to counter excessive party power and supports rethinking the party system.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Argo Ideon
