Estonian Centre Party

The Estonian Centre Party (Estonian: Eesti Keskerakond ) is an Estonian center-left party with populist elements. She is one of the major parties in the country and has already participated in several governments.

Foundation

The Estonian Centre Party was founded shortly after regaining of Estonian independence on 12 October 1991 in Tallinn. In 1992, the party newspaper Seitse Päeva was ( "Seven Days " ) has been launched.

Domestic Policy

The Estonian Centre Party is one of the most enduring and influential parties in the country. She was involved in many coalition governments. In major city and municipal governments, the Centre Party is represented. It is equipped with more than 9000 members (as of 2006) is the second largest Party of Estonia.

Chairman of the Party is the former Prime Minister (1990-1992) and current mayor of Tallinn Edgar Savisaar.

Between 2005 and 2007, the Centre Party was formed together with the Reform Party and the Estonian People's Union, a coalition government headed by Prime Minister Andrus Ansip.

Program

The Estonian Centre Party is in the economically liberal society characterized Estonia a center-left party. It advocates the introduction of a progressive income tax and emphasizes the balancing role of the state in the social market economy. The party has become a melting pot of Rentern earners and small and attractive for the Russian-speaking minority. The party chairman Savisaar, the real workhorse of the party, is accused by his opponents an authoritarian style of leadership. The party is known for populist actions.

Europe

Since May 2004, the Estonian Centre Party of the ELDR belongs to after previous applications had been rejected twice. Prior to the referendum on the EU - accession of Estonia to the Congress of Rakvere ( August 2003) called with a relative majority in the voters of the Centre Party, to vote against the EU membership of Estonia. The party chairman Savisaar expressed deliberately ambiguous. As a consequence of this positioning came from the representatives of the liberal wing of the Centre Party and formed in the parliament ( Riigikogu ) the " Social Liberal Group ". Later, most social liberals joined the Estonian Social Democratic Party.

In the European elections of 2004, the Centre Party received one of six Estonian seats. Siiri Oviir moved as MEPs of a party to the European Parliament.