Voters in Estonia cast ballots Sunday in a parliamentary election that the center-right Reform Party of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. one of Europe’s most outspoken supporters of Ukraine, was considered a favorite to win.
Kallas faces a challenge from the far-right populist EKRE party, which seeks to limit the Baltic nation's exposure to the Ukraine crisis and blames the current government for Estonia's high inflation rate.
Kallas, 45, became prime minister in 2021 and has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken supporters of Ukraine during the year-long war. She is seeking a second term, with her standing enhanced by her international appeals to impose sanctions on Moscow. Her center-right Reform Party, a key player in Estonian politics since the mid-1990s, continuously held the prime minister’s post during 2005-2016 and regained it in 2021. For some voters, the party's long time in power represents stability, while others are looking for a change.
Polls indicated Kallas’ party was likely to win the most votes in Sunday's election. EKRE party leader Martin Helme, the prime minister's main challenger, faults Kallas for the country’s inflation rate of 18.6%, one of the EU’s highest, and accuses her of undermining Estonia’s defenses by giving weapons to Ukraine.
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