Estonian Labour Party
The Estonian Labour Party (Estonian Eesti Tööerakond - ETE) was a political party in Estonia during the interwar period. Until the mid-1920s, it was social-democratic oriented before it positioned itself as a center-right party.
Radical Socialists
The Estonian Labour Party was formed in revolutionary Russia from a merger of radical Socialist Party ( Radikaalsotsialistlik Erakond ) with the Union Republican Estonian ( Eesti Vabariiklaste Liit ), which included mainly Estonian intellectuals from the Russian capital, Petrograd.
Founder of the Radical Socialists was Jüri Vilms, one of the later founding fathers of the Republic of Estonia. The party was officially launched on 6 May 1917 in Tallinn by Jüri Vilms and Eduard Laaman from the baptism. She joined for social equality, a comprehensive land reform in Estonia and the separation of church and state a. In the Provisional Parliament of the provinces of Estonia, the Radical Socialists presented four of the 55 members of parliament.
The end of September / beginning of October 1917 joined the Union of Estonian Republican Party. She received henceforth be known Estonian Labour Party. After the October Revolution in Russia, the party called for one of the first political groups, the full independence of a democratic and constitutional Estonia.
Republic of Estonia
After the Estonian Declaration of Independence of Estonia on 24 February 1918, the party was a member of the Provisional Government. As a member of the " Estonian Rescue Committee " Jüri Vilms traveled across the frozen Baltic Sea to Finland to promote the Western powers for the recognition of Estonian independence. He was executed in April 1918 never quite clarified circumstances in Helsinki, probably at the behest of German.
After Vilms ' murder was Otto Strandman political leader of the party. It was 1919 and 1929-1931 Estonian head of government. Other prominent politicians of the party were next Ants Piip ( Prime Minister 1920/21 ) and Juhan Kukk ( Prime Minister 1922/23 ) and the multiple Minister Theodor Pool, Christian Kaarna, Ado Ander Kopp and Julius Seljamaa.
Particularly successful was the Estonian Labour Party in the election to the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Estonia ( Asutav Kogu ) and in the first term of the Estonian Parliament ( Riigikogu ). The party strongly influenced the creation of the first Estonian Constitution and the Estonian land reform that expropriated the Baltic German landowners. By 1932, the party was a member of most coalition governments and retained despite falling approval of its strong position in the party system in Estonia.
Program and followers
The party was initially targeted as a center -left party, moved over the 1920s, but right in the middle of the political spectrum. She was oriented more conservative.
The Estonian Labour Party addressed particularly the Estonian middle class. To her supporters included officials and state employees, teachers, craftsmen and retailers as well as home owners and small farmers. Through social reforms, the party wanted to improve the economic situation of the middle income groups.
National Centre Party
In the wake of the global economic crisis came in the early 1930s to several Parteizusammenschlüsen in the political system of Estonia. In October 1931, the conservative - liberal national Estonian People's Party ( Eesti Rahvaerakond ) and the Christian People's Party ( Kristlik Rahvaerakond ) joined together. In January 1932, the National Centre Party was created ( Rahvuslik Keskerakond ) from a union of the two parties with the Estonian Labour Party.