the Estonian parliament Riigikogu is located in a sockersött beautiful pink house in the heart of Tallinn’s old town. Inside the building hangs the country’s blåsvartvita flag next to the EU.
” When I’m in the government, the EU, the flag is removed! Estonia is a country, not a province of the EU, ” said Mart Helme decided, when he gets photographed in one of the large halls.
abbreviation for Estonia’s conservative government. The party was formed in 2012, had eight per cent in the parliamentary elections in 2015 and looks to at least double the proportion in this year’s election. Migrationskrisen 2015-2016 gave the party a boost in the public opinion.
“We have spoken openly about things that other parties have been swept under the carpet,” says Mart Helme as an explanation for the increase.
Mart Helme is the leader of högernationalistiska Ekre. Photo: Elin Åberg
He wants to have a Estonia of ethnic estonians. Not for belarusier, ukrainians, or nigerians, who are some of the examples he mentions. Therefore, it should be harder to become a citizen of Estonia.
He wants to take back power from the EU in the questions just migration, but also in the field of security.
– We can not support an EU that concentrates power to the commission.
– No, it is a lie. But the continuing developments within the European union and the member states have less and less to say, we must ask, Estonian people again. Answer people yes, then we have to leave, ” says Mart Helme.
the Referenda will generally become more important and more common if the Ekre are in government and can change the constitution, inform the Helme. But when a vote on EU membership would be able to get rid of, he does not want to speculate in.
According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, from december of last year, want to get esther to leave the EUROPEAN union. In the Eurobarometer survey shows that Estonia, together with other Baltic states and Ireland are the only member states where fewer than 10 percent of the residents have a negative view on the EU.
For Estonia, 45 per cent have a positive image, 45 percent have a neutral image, 9% negative and 1% do not know. For sweden, the figures are 53, 33, 14, and 0 percent.
Kaja Kallas, the leader of the liberal Reformpartiet. Photo: Elin Åberg
, the leader of the liberal Reformpartiet and former Mep, is Ekre single party she excludes to work with.
– We do not share their values. Their program is based on hatred and populism. They are fueling a hatred of the Estonian state and, in addition, they want to leave the European union, ” she says.
Kaja referred to as pointing at the political mess and the tensions that are around the Uk’s withdrawal.
– Then, it is still a much bigger country and have better neighbors than what we have, ” she says.
” I really hope not. We are working hard for that not to happen, but they högerkonservativa copy clearly what is happening in Poland, says the Jackdaw Called.
She stresses that her Reformparti trying to listen to people’s concerns, especially in the issue of immigration as Kaja is Called says that the mainly rural population is concerned. Then the referring party, inter alia, that the companies will need labour from outside in order to be able to develop.
– But we should know who it is that comes here, they should pay taxes and when the employment ends, they should go home, ” says Jackdaw Called.
the traditional samarbetspartierna socialists and conservatives lose, it’ll be complicated to form a government. It can be open to a coalition between the two largest: the Reformpartiet and the Centre party.
IN the EU parliament included both in the liberal partigruppen Alde. At home, they are different in tax matters, in the view of citizenship, and when it comes to the school system. Called Reformparti only want to have estniskspråkiga kindergartens and schools.
the Centre party, with a significant Russian-speaking ushered a major period, do not want it. You still have Russian schools at the side of the Estonian.
“But we can overcome these differences, I believe we can work together,” says Jackdaw Called.
Just the language issue, agree for the other Reformpartiet with högernationalisterna.
Martin Helme, the son of Mart Helme, a vice president of the Ekre. Photo: Elin Åberg
the son of Mart Helme. He and some party members, all men, handing out leaflets in the snålblåsten at a bus stop in the district of Skype. A constituency in which they hope to get many votes.
Maire will vote on Ekre. Photo: Elin Åberg
Maire, who do not want to say his surname, is one of them.
” I will vote for Ekre. I did this last choice also. The party is good. It does not promise as much as the others do, ” she says.
Georgi are looking to vote for the Centre party. Photo: Elin Åberg
Georgi, who does not want to give his last name, reaches the age of 18 years on election day. He does not like Ekre, but are looking to vote for the Centre party, which he thinks made great efforts in another neighborhood where he lives.
– Probably because they are more patriotic for esther, ” says Georgi.
At the Ekres partibord is the urge for free candy, matchboxes and key chains greater than after political leaflets. Just as it tends to be of all parties.
Photo: Elin Åberg
Several, mostly elderly ladies, exchanged a few words with Martin Helme, and the other partiföreträdarna. A woman ignores the candy and goes up to the men to say their heart, meaning if the party. It is not positive, you understand of the reactions.
for Ekre in the election. Helle-Moonika Helme is married with chairman Mart Helme.
” We are a dynasty. We are not just a family. My daughters from the first marriage is also very active, one in the party and a conservative columnist, said Mart Helme.
” No, we have no connections to Le Pen or Salvini (leader of the Italian Lega). We have collaborations with parties in Latvia and in Finland.
Ekre already have a local branch in Finland, and is planning one in Sweden. The think Mart Helme will like to cooperation with what he calls the ”alternative political forces” in Sweden.
Then he tells us that the Hungarian embassy helped to arrange a trip to Hungary in the summer.
“I hope to get to meet the leader of Fidesz, but if it is Viktor Orbán, I don’t know,” he says.
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