Estonian Centre Party
Encyclopedia
The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia
. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members.
The party was founded on 12 October 1991, on the basis of the Popular Front of Estonia after several parties had split from it. At that time, the party was called Rahvakeskerakond (People's Centre Party), in order to differentiate from the smaller Maa-Keskerakond (Rural Centre Party). The party's chairman is Edgar Savisaar
. Vice chairmen of the party are Kadri Simson and Enn Eesmaa.
The party claims that its goal is the formation of a strong middle class
in Estonia. Keskerakond declares itself as "middle class liberal party"; however, against the backdrop of Estonia's economically liberal
policies, the Centre Party has a reputation of having more left-leaning policies. It supports small enterprises. It is by far the most popular party among Russians in Estonia.
In 1996, CPE candidate Siiri Oviir
ran for the presidency of Estonia.
In the general elections in March 1999, Keskerakond, whose main slogan was progressive
income tax
, gained 23.4% of votes (the first result) and 28 seats in the Riigikogu
. CPE members are active in its 26 branches – eight of them are active in Tallinn
, 18 in towns and counties.
The Centre Party became the member of the ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
in 2003 London Congress. The party applied for the membership of the Liberal International
(LI) in 2001, but the LI decided to reject the party's application in August 2001, as Savisaar's conduct was adjudged to 'not always conform to liberal principles'.
In 2001, Kreitzberg ran for the presidency of Estonia.
In January 2002, Keskerakond and the Reform Party
formed a new governmental coalition where Centre Party got 8 ministerial seats (Minister of Defense, Education, Social Affairs, Finances, Economy&Communications, Interior, Agriculture and Minister of integration and national minorities). The coalition stayed until the new elections in 2003, in which the party won 28 seats. Though the Centre Party won the greatest percent of votes, it was in opposition until March, 2005 when Juhan Parts' government collapsed.
In 2003, the majority of the party's assembly did not support Estonia's joining the European Union
(EU). Savisaar did not express clearly his position.
A number of Keskerakond members left the party in fall 2004, mostly due to objections with Savisaar's autocratic tendencies and the party's anti-EU stance, forming the Social Liberal group. Some of them joined the Social Democratic Party, others the Reform Party and others the People's Party. One of these MPs later rejoined Keskerakond. Keskerakond is affiliated with the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
since July 2003.
Savisaar was the Mayor of Tallinn
, the capital of Estonia, from 2001 to fall 2004, when he was forced to step down after a vote of no confidence. He was replaced by Tõnis Palts
of Res Publica
.
In 2004 Keskerakond gained one member in the European Parliament
– Siiri Oviir
. The Centre Party gathered 17.5% share of votes on the elections to the European Parliament.
Keskerakond participated in government with the Estonian Reform Party
and the People's Union of Estonia
from 12 April 2005 until a new government took office after the March 2007 elections. They had 5 minister portfolios (Edgar Savisaar as Minister of Economy, also Minister of Social Affairs, Education, Culture and Interior).
Local elections on 16 October 2005 were very successful to the Centre Party. Keskerakond managed to win 32 seats out of 63 in Tallinn
City Council, having now an absolute majority in that municipality. One of the factors behind this success in Tallinn was probably the immense popularity of Centre Party among Russian speaking voters. The controversial contract of co-operation between the Estonian Centre Party and the Russian party of power United Russia
has probably contributed to the success in ethnic Russian electorate as well.
Centre Party formed one-party government in Tallinn was led by Jüri Ratas, a 27 year old politician elected the Mayor of Tallinn in November 2005. He was replaced by Savisaar in April 2007. The Centre Party is also a member of coalitions in 15 other major towns of Estonia like Pärnu
, Narva, Haapsalu and Tartu
.
In the Estonian parliamentary election, 2007
, they received 143,528 votes (26.1% of the total), an improvement of +0.7%. They took 29 seats, a gain of one seat compared to the 2003 elections, though due to the 2004 defections which had decreased their strength, they actually gained 10 seats. They are now the second largest party in Parliament and the largest opposition party. In 2008, the party criticised Andrus Ansip
's policies, that in Centre Party's opinion have contributed to Estonia's economic problems of recent times. On June 16, 2007, Edgar Savisaar
and Jaan Õmblus published a proposal of how to improve what they regard as Estonia's economic crisis.
In the European Parliament elections of 2009, the Centre Party gained the most votes and 2 out of 6 Estonian seats, which were filled by Siiri Oviir
and Vilja Savisaar
.
In local elections of 2009, the party strengthened its absolute majority in the Tallinn city council. Despite their absolute majority, they formed a coalition with the Social Democratic Party. Recent polls suggest the party is especially popular amongst Estonia's Russophone minority.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members.
The party was founded on 12 October 1991, on the basis of the Popular Front of Estonia after several parties had split from it. At that time, the party was called Rahvakeskerakond (People's Centre Party), in order to differentiate from the smaller Maa-Keskerakond (Rural Centre Party). The party's chairman is Edgar Savisaar
Edgar Savisaar
Edgar Savisaar , is an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the leader of the Centre Party. He has served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia, Minister of Internal affairs and Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications...
. Vice chairmen of the party are Kadri Simson and Enn Eesmaa.
The party claims that its goal is the formation of a strong middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
in Estonia. Keskerakond declares itself as "middle class liberal party"; however, against the backdrop of Estonia's economically liberal
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
policies, the Centre Party has a reputation of having more left-leaning policies. It supports small enterprises. It is by far the most popular party among Russians in Estonia.
History
In general elections in March 1995, CPE placed third with 14.2% of votes and 16 seats. It entered the coalition, Savisaar taking the position of the Minister of Internal Affairs, and 4 other ministerial positions (Social Affairs, Economy, Education and Transportation&Communications). After the "tape scandal" (secret taping of talks with other politicians) where Savisaar was involved, the party was forced to go to opposition. A new party was formed by those who were disappointed by their leader's behaviour. Edgar Savisaar became the Chairman of the City Council of the capital city Tallinn.In 1996, CPE candidate Siiri Oviir
Siiri Oviir
Siiri Oviir is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Estonian Centre Party, part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-External links:*...
ran for the presidency of Estonia.
In the general elections in March 1999, Keskerakond, whose main slogan was progressive
Progressive tax
A progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable base amount increases. "Progressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from low to high, where the average tax rate is less than the marginal tax rate...
income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
, gained 23.4% of votes (the first result) and 28 seats in the Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
. CPE members are active in its 26 branches – eight of them are active in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, 18 in towns and counties.
The Centre Party became the member of the ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
in 2003 London Congress. The party applied for the membership of the Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
(LI) in 2001, but the LI decided to reject the party's application in August 2001, as Savisaar's conduct was adjudged to 'not always conform to liberal principles'.
In 2001, Kreitzberg ran for the presidency of Estonia.
In January 2002, Keskerakond and the Reform Party
Estonian Reform Party
The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature...
formed a new governmental coalition where Centre Party got 8 ministerial seats (Minister of Defense, Education, Social Affairs, Finances, Economy&Communications, Interior, Agriculture and Minister of integration and national minorities). The coalition stayed until the new elections in 2003, in which the party won 28 seats. Though the Centre Party won the greatest percent of votes, it was in opposition until March, 2005 when Juhan Parts' government collapsed.
In 2003, the majority of the party's assembly did not support Estonia's joining the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU). Savisaar did not express clearly his position.
A number of Keskerakond members left the party in fall 2004, mostly due to objections with Savisaar's autocratic tendencies and the party's anti-EU stance, forming the Social Liberal group. Some of them joined the Social Democratic Party, others the Reform Party and others the People's Party. One of these MPs later rejoined Keskerakond. Keskerakond is affiliated with the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
since July 2003.
Savisaar was the Mayor of Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, the capital of Estonia, from 2001 to fall 2004, when he was forced to step down after a vote of no confidence. He was replaced by Tõnis Palts
Tõnis Palts
Tõnis Palts is an Estonian politician and former mayor of Tallinn.- References :...
of Res Publica
Res Publica Party
Res Publica Party was a political party in Estonia that self-identified as conservative and therefore member of IDU, but considering its vague platform for 2003 election, the genuineness of this ideology is disputed...
.
In 2004 Keskerakond gained one member in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
– Siiri Oviir
Siiri Oviir
Siiri Oviir is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Estonian Centre Party, part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-External links:*...
. The Centre Party gathered 17.5% share of votes on the elections to the European Parliament.
Keskerakond participated in government with the Estonian Reform Party
Estonian Reform Party
The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature...
and the People's Union of Estonia
People's Union of Estonia
The People's Union of Estonia is a political party in Estonia, currently led by Margo Miljand.In the 2003 parliamentary election, the party collected 64,463 votes, which made 13.0% share of all votes and 13 mandates out of 101. In 2007's election, this dropped to 39,211 votes , and six seats in...
from 12 April 2005 until a new government took office after the March 2007 elections. They had 5 minister portfolios (Edgar Savisaar as Minister of Economy, also Minister of Social Affairs, Education, Culture and Interior).
Local elections on 16 October 2005 were very successful to the Centre Party. Keskerakond managed to win 32 seats out of 63 in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
City Council, having now an absolute majority in that municipality. One of the factors behind this success in Tallinn was probably the immense popularity of Centre Party among Russian speaking voters. The controversial contract of co-operation between the Estonian Centre Party and the Russian party of power United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
has probably contributed to the success in ethnic Russian electorate as well.
Centre Party formed one-party government in Tallinn was led by Jüri Ratas, a 27 year old politician elected the Mayor of Tallinn in November 2005. He was replaced by Savisaar in April 2007. The Centre Party is also a member of coalitions in 15 other major towns of Estonia like Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
, Narva, Haapsalu and Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
.
In the Estonian parliamentary election, 2007
Estonian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections took place in Estonia on Sunday, March 4, 2007 to elect members of the Riigikogu. The electoral system was a two-tier semi-open list proportional representation system with a 5% election threshold...
, they received 143,528 votes (26.1% of the total), an improvement of +0.7%. They took 29 seats, a gain of one seat compared to the 2003 elections, though due to the 2004 defections which had decreased their strength, they actually gained 10 seats. They are now the second largest party in Parliament and the largest opposition party. In 2008, the party criticised Andrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of Estonia, and chairman of the market liberal Estonian Reform Party .-Early life and career:...
's policies, that in Centre Party's opinion have contributed to Estonia's economic problems of recent times. On June 16, 2007, Edgar Savisaar
Edgar Savisaar
Edgar Savisaar , is an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the leader of the Centre Party. He has served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia, Minister of Internal affairs and Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications...
and Jaan Õmblus published a proposal of how to improve what they regard as Estonia's economic crisis.
In the European Parliament elections of 2009, the Centre Party gained the most votes and 2 out of 6 Estonian seats, which were filled by Siiri Oviir
Siiri Oviir
Siiri Oviir is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Estonian Centre Party, part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-External links:*...
and Vilja Savisaar
Vilja Savisaar
Vilja Savisaar-Toomast is an Estonian politician belonging to the Estonian Centre Party, currently a Member of the European Parliament....
.
In local elections of 2009, the party strengthened its absolute majority in the Tallinn city council. Despite their absolute majority, they formed a coalition with the Social Democratic Party. Recent polls suggest the party is especially popular amongst Estonia's Russophone minority.