Estonian Centre Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Estonian Centre Party Eesti Keskerakond
Leader	Mihhail Kõlvart
Founder	Edgar Savisaar
Founded	12 October 1991; 33 years ago (1991-10-12)
Split from	Popular Front of Estonia
Headquarters	Narva mnt. 31-M1, Tallinn 10120
Newspaper	Kesknädal
Youth wing	Estonian Centre Party Youth
Membership (2021)	14,732
Ideology	Populism Factions: Liberalism Conservatism
European affiliation	Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
European Parliament group	Renew Europe
Colours	Green
Riigikogu	6 / 101
Municipalities	247 / 1,717
European Parliament	1 / 7
Party flag
^ A: Pundits and experts note that the party has a conservative mainly Russian-speaking wing and a liberal mainly Estonian-speaking wing, heavily highlighted amidst the 2023 leadership election between Mihhail Kõlvart and Tanel Kiik.

The Estonian Centre Party (in Estonian: Eesti Keskerakond, or EK) is a political party in Estonia. It was started in 1991. The party grew out of the Popular Front of Estonia, a big movement that helped Estonia become independent.

Today, the party is led by Mihhail Kõlvart. The Estonian Centre Party is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). It is also part of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. Since June 2022, the party has been in the opposition. This means they are not part of the government.

Headquarters of the Estonian Centre Party in Tallinn.

History of the Centre Party

Early Years and First Elections

The Estonian Centre Party was founded on October 12, 1991. It was formed when several groups left the Popular Front of Estonia. At first, it was called the People's Centre Party. This helped people tell it apart from another smaller party.

In the parliamentary elections of March 1995, the Centre Party came in third. They won 14.2% of the votes and 16 seats in the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament). They joined the government, and Edgar Savisaar became the Minister of Internal Affairs. Four other party members also became ministers.

Later, the party had to leave the government. This happened after a disagreement involving secret recordings. After this, Edgar Savisaar became the Chairman of the City Council in Tallinn, the capital city.

Growing Influence and Changes

In the parliamentary elections of March 1999, the Centre Party did very well. They won the most votes (23.4%) and 28 seats. Their main idea was a progressive income tax, which means people with higher incomes pay a larger percentage in taxes.

The party became a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party in 2003. In 2001, Edgar Savisaar became the Mayor of Tallinn. He was mayor until 2004.

In January 2002, the Centre Party and the Estonian Reform Party formed a new government. The Centre Party held 8 minister positions. This government lasted until the next elections in 2003. Even though the Centre Party won the most votes in 2003, they were in opposition.

In 2003, most party members did not support Estonia joining the European Union (EU). However, after Estonia joined the EU, the party changed its mind.

Recent Elections and Leadership Changes

In 2004, the Centre Party gained one member in the European Parliament, Siiri Oviir. The party received 17.5% of the votes in the European Parliament elections.

From 2005 to 2007, the Centre Party was part of the government again. They had five minister roles. In local elections in October 2005, the Centre Party did very well in Tallinn. They won 32 out of 63 seats, giving them a majority. This success was partly because many Russian-speaking voters supported them.

In the 2007 parliamentary election, the party got 26.1% of the votes. They won 29 seats, becoming the second largest party in Parliament. They were the main opposition party.

In the European Parliament elections of 2009, the Centre Party won the most votes in Estonia. They got 2 out of 6 Estonian seats. These seats were taken by Siiri Oviir and Vilja Savisaar.

In 2012, some important members left the party. They had disagreements about how the party was run. In the local elections of October 2013, the Centre Party and its leader Edgar Savisaar won a majority in Tallinn again. They received 53% of the votes.

The Estonian Centre Party also did well in the 2015 election. They got 24.8% of the votes and 27 members elected to Parliament. They remained in opposition.

In autumn 2016, Edgar Savisaar stepped down as party leader. Jüri Ratas was elected as the new leader. In November 2016, the Centre Party formed a new government with other parties. Jüri Ratas became the Prime Minister.

Parliamentary Elections of 2019

In the 2019 parliamentary election, the Centre Party lost some support. The Estonian Reform Party gained more votes. After the election, Jüri Ratas decided to form a government with Isamaa and the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE). This decision caused some discussion because EKRE had different views on many topics.

Some members of the Centre Party were not happy with this choice. They felt it went against the party's usual ideas. For example, Raimond Kaljulaid left the party. Yana Toom, a member of the European Parliament, also shared her concerns.

Coalition Government (2021–2022)

In January 2021, after Jüri Ratas resigned as Prime Minister, a new government was formed. It was led by the Estonian Reform Party with Kaja Kallas as Prime Minister. The Estonian Centre Party joined this government.

However, on June 3, 2022, Kallas removed the Centre Party ministers from the government. The Centre Party then became an opposition party again.

In Opposition (2022–Present)

In the 2023 parliamentary election, the Centre Party received 15.3% of the votes. They won 16 seats in the Riigikogu and remained in opposition.

After a disagreement within the party leadership, Jüri Ratas announced he would not run for leader again. Mihhail Kõlvart, the mayor of Tallinn, then ran for leadership. He won the election with 543 votes. He became the third leader in the party's history.

After this, some members, including former leader Jüri Ratas, left the party. This made the Centre Party smaller in parliament.

What the Centre Party Believes

The Estonian Centre Party is often described as a party that supports a social market economy. This means they believe in a market economy but also want the government to help people and ensure fairness. They are also sometimes called a populist party.

The party is very popular among Russian-speaking citizens in Estonia. Its political ideas are seen as being in the middle, or slightly to the left. They combine ideas that help people in society with some more traditional views.

The party says its main goal is to help create a strong middle class in Estonia. While they call themselves a "middle class liberal party," their policies are often seen as more left-leaning compared to other parties in Estonia.

European Representation

In the European Parliament, the Estonian Centre Party has one member. This member sits with the Renew Europe group.

The party also has a representative in the European Committee of the Regions. This committee allows local and regional governments to have a say in EU laws.

Party Leaders

• Edgar Savisaar (1991–2016)
• Jüri Ratas (2016–2023)
• Mihhail Kõlvart (2023–present)

On September 10, 2023, Mihhail Kõlvart was elected as the new party leader. He won with 543 votes.

Election Results

Parliamentary Elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
1992	56,124	12.2 (#3)	15 / 101	15	Opposition
1995	76,634	14.2 (#2)	16 / 101	1	Coalition (1995)
					Opposition (1995-1999)
1999	113,378	23.4 (#1)	28 / 101	12	Opposition (1999–2002)
					Coalition (2002–2003)
2003	125,709	25.4 (#1)	28 / 101	0	Opposition (2003–2005)
					Coalition (2005–2007)
2007	143,518	26.1 (#2)	29 / 101	1	Opposition
2011	134,124	23.3 (#2)	26 / 101	3	Opposition
2015	142,442	24.8 (#2)	27 / 101	1	Opposition (2015–2016)
					Coalition (2016–2019)
2019	118,561	23.0 (#2)	26 / 101	1	Coalition (2019–2022)
					Opposition (2022–2023)
2023	93,254	15.3 (#3)	16 / 101	10	Opposition

European Parliament Elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
2004	40,704	17.5 (#2)	1 / 6
2009	103,506	26.1 (#1)	2 / 6	1
2014	73,419	22.4 (#2)	1 / 6	1
2019	47,819	14.4 (#3)	1 / 7

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Partido del Centro Estonio para niños

• List of political parties in Estonia