TALLINN — An attempt to unite Estonia’s seated parties outside the ruling minority coalition has failed.
The People’s Union of Estonia party’s governing council decided Monday not to join a merge parties with the country’s other centrist and center-left parties after a lengthy debate.
The Center Party, the Green Party and Social Democratic Party had earlier sent an official proposal to the agrarian People’s Union on possible merge the parties. Each party would retain its name but the parties would be united under one leader. It’s unclear if the other three parties will form a new party without the People’s Union.
“The county and town representatives expressed their views at the council meeting yesterday. Half of them were strongly against any negotiation but others supported possible consultations in possible collaboration with other political parties. All agreed that the creation of separate workgroup for discussions in possible collaboration is not necessary,” Tarvo Sarmet, head secretary of the People’s Party told Baltic Reports.
If the four parties had united, they would have formed a 50-seat bloc in the Riigikogu the same size as the ruling coalition.
Leadership struggle
The People’s Union has been in a state of internal strife since the General Prosecutor pressed charges on party leader Villu Reiljan, alleging he took a one million krooni (€639,000) in cash and real estate as bribes. Found guilty, he appealed the decision and the court of appeals is scheduled to rule on his appeal Nov. 20. Reiljan could face up to eight years imprisonment. Meanwhile Reiljan’s fall from grace has hammered the party’s popularity. If People’s Union won’t get the minimum votes in 2011, it would likely disband.
According to a People’s Union official familiar with the matter who asked to remain anonymous, Reiljan and Tarmo Mänd secretly discussed the possible joining of the parties the Center Party because the younger members of People’s Party are strongly against Reiljan’s continued leadership of the Party. But the plan backfired, as most of the members are against joining the Center Party.
