Estonians voted for a new parliament on Sunday, in elections that took place in the shadow of the war in Ukraine. According to pre-election polls, the liberal Reform Party of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, was set to come out on top, although forming the next government may not be a straightforward affair. The first results are expected in the early hours of Monday. Kallas, who became the first woman to head Estonia’s government in 2021, is seen as one of the European Union’s most resolute supporters of Kiev in its efforts to fight off the full-scale invasion launched by Russia a year ago. The prime minister has been a vocal advocate for EU sanctions against Moscow and Western arms deliveries to Kiev. She has also called for a strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank against threats from Russia, which borders Estonia. The 45-year-old currently leads a three-party coalition with the Social Democrats and the conservative Isamaa party. Whether this alliance can hold on to power despite high approval ratings for Kallas is unclear, however. Possible coalitions are likely to be determined by how the two opposition forces, the right-wing populist party EKRE and the left-wing Centre Party, perform in the elections. Nine parties are running in the ninth election since Estonia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. None is likely to win an absolute majority, meaning the formation of a new government could be difficult. Estonians were also able to cast their ballots online, an option the government introduced in 2005 as the first country in Europe to do so. Before election day, more than a quarter of those eligible had already voted online.
Source: Ghana News Agency
