Centrist Party of Estonia

The party was founded on October 12, 1991 on the basis of the Popular Front of Estonia after several parties broke away from it. The party chairman is Edgar Savisaar , the deputies are Mailis Reps and Ann Eesmaa .

On December 21, 1994, the Center Party merged with the Estonian Entrepreneurs Party , founded by Tiit Made ^[2] .

In the general election in March 1995, the CPC received 14.2% of the vote and 16 seats (third result). The party joined the ruling coalition, Savisaar took over as Minister of the Interior , and Peeter Kreuzberg as Minister of Education. After the “film scandal” (secret recording of conversations with other politicians), in which Savisaar was involved, the party turned to the opposition. Frustrated by the behavior of their leader, party members formed a new party. The centrist party remained in relative political isolation until 2001 .

In 1996, the CPE nominated its candidate, Siiri Oviir, for the presidency of Estonia , but lost the election .

In the general elections in March 1999, the Center Party, whose main slogan was the introduction of a progressive income tax , received 23.4% of the vote (first result) and 28 seats in the Riigikogu . At that time, the party had 26 branches, 8 in Tallinn and 18 in other cities and counties.

In 2001, Peeter Kreuzberg stood for the presidency of Estonia . In December 2001, Edgar Savisaar was elected mayor of Tallinn , the capital of Estonia.

In January 2002, the Center Party and the Reform Party formed a new government coalition. Sven Mixer became Minister of Defense . The coalition lasted until the 2003 election . Although the CPE gained the most votes in these elections, it remained in opposition until March 2005, when the government of Johan Parts collapsed.

In 2003, the majority at the party congress decided not to support Estonia’s accession to the European Union . Savisaar did not express his position clearly.

Part of the CPE members left the party in 2004 and formed the Social Liberal Group. Some joined the Social Democratic Party , others joined the Reform Party. One of the MPs later returned to the Central Committee. In May 2004, the Center Party of Estonia joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe .

In October 2004, Savisaar was forced to resign as mayor of Tallinn after a vote of no confidence. He was succeeded by Tõnis Palts of Res Publica .

In the elections to the European Parliament in 2004, the party won 17.5% of the vote and held one deputy , Siiri Oviir, in the European Parliament .

On April 12, 2005, the Center Party re-entered the government along with the Reform Party and the People’s Union . She had 19 seats in parliament, and 5 portfolios in the government. This coalition lasted until April 5, 2007 .

The local elections on October 16, 2005 were very successful for the centrists: 32 out of 63 seats in the Tallinn City Assembly were won, that is, an absolute majority. It is possible that one of the success factors was the huge popularity of centrists among Russian-speakers. After unsuccessful attempts to form a stable majority with the Social Democrats or the Reform Party, the Centrist Party formed a one-party city government led by Juri Ratas , a 27-year-old politician who was elected mayor of Tallinn in November 2005. The CP is also a member of the ruling coalition in other large Estonian cities, such as Pärnu and Tartu .

In the 2007 Riigikogu elections , the party won 29 seats in the parliament (second result). The winner of the elections, the Reform Party, did not invite the centrists to take part in the negotiations to create a government coalition, as a result of which the Center Party found itself in opposition. Following this, party leader Edgar Savisaar replaced Yuri Ratas as mayor of Tallinn.

In the 2011 parliamentary elections, the party received 23.3% of the vote and 26 seats. In the 2015 parliamentary elections, the party received 24.8% of the vote and 27 seats.

On November 26, 2016, Juri Ratas was elected Estonian Prime Minister. The coalition also included the Social Democrats and the Fatherland and Liberty Party.

• party official website