Greens' Sagitov: Merger With Eesti 200 Would Not Have Guaranteed Riigikogu Seats
Estonia's Eesti 200 party decided against merger talks with the Estonian Greens. Greens board member Timur Sagitov said a merger would not have solved the 5% electoral threshold problem anyway.
Estonia's party Eesti 200 decided on Sunday not to begin merger talks with the Estonian Greens ahead of the March parliamentary (Riigikogu) elections. Greens board member Timur Sagitov said a merger would not have guaranteed either party a place in parliament, as both polling figures sit below the 5% electoral threshold.
Eesti 200's decision
After almost four hours of discussion, delegates of the party's council of representatives chose to keep Eesti 200 independent. They cited a lack of time to build a new political force and a wish to preserve the party's own worldview.
Eesti 200 chair Kristina Kallas said the meeting showed that those present care less about winning a political seat than about representing the worldview of Eesti 200. Marko Sandre, deputy chair of the council of representatives, said his personal view was against merging, citing a strong team and a very good brand.
The latest poll by the Institute of Social Research and Norstat put Eesti 200 at 1.2%, well below the 5% threshold. Kallas rules out sharp political moves aimed at raising the rating. Whether the party can run independently in March and field a full list of candidates will become clear later.
The Greens' position
Speaking to the ETV programme Aktuaalne kaamera, Sagitov said a merger probably would not have solved the threshold problem, and many current and potential voters would still have backed the Reform Party, the Social Democrats or the Right-wingers. He added that both parties had supporters and opponents of the idea. The Greens have not yet decided whether they will run independently in the next parliamentary elections.
Situation in Ida-Viru County
According to one regional representative, the party's prospects in Ida-Viru County are viewed with caution. Several prominent candidates from previous parliamentary elections no longer represent Eesti 200. The regional list has not yet been set, since the party must first decide whether it will take part in the elections at all.
