People's Union of Estonia

The Estonian People's Union (Estonian Eestimaa Rahvaliit - ERL ) from 2000 to 2012, a conservative- agrarian party in Estonia. Since 2011, she was no longer represented in parliament. In 2012 it merged with the 2006 founded right-wing populist " Estonian National Movement " ( Eesti Rahvuslik Liikumine ) for " Estonian Conservative People's Party " ( Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond ).

Electorate and program

The People's Union was a rural and agrarian -based party that took their followers especially outside the major cities and within the poorer sections of the population. Although they also contained nationalist elements, they also found popularity among the Russian-speaking population of Estonia. The People's Union has long been the largest membership of any party in Estonia.

The party campaigned for the social rights of Estonian rural population. A strengthening of the local self-government and the subsidiarity principle was the basis of their regional policy. She advocated in the agricultural sector, a balance between economic and environmental interests.

Although tend euro skeptic, it was during the referendum on EU accession in September 2003, a clear supporter of Estonia's membership of the European Union. But they belonged to the Alliance for a Europe of Nations.

History

The Estonian People's Union was on 18 October 1999 as the union of the three parties Eesti Pensionäride yes Perede Erakond - EPPE ("Party of Estonia's pensioners and family "; center-left spectrum, founded in 1991 ), Eesti Maarahva Erakond - EME ("Party of the Estonian country people "; peasant Party, founded in 1994 ) and Eesti Maaliit - EML ( " Estonian country Union "; rural -oriented party, founded in 1991 ) was officially launched. In January 2003, the small party, founded in 1996 Erakond Uus Eesti occurred - UE ("Party New Estonia " ) in the People's Union.

Personalities

Influential personalities of the Estonian People's Union were particularly Arnold Rüütel ( b. 1928 ), who was from 1994 to 2000 chairman of Eesti Maarahva Erakond ( EME). Rüütel was elected in October 2001 on the Estonian President. In the summer of 2006 he was defeated in the presidential election just under his Social Democratic challenger Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

After Rüütel dominated Villu Reiljan (* 1953), the image of the party. The studied forestry had been collected from 1995 to 1997 experience as Estonian Minister of the Environment. From 2003 to 2006 Reiljan was again Minister of the Environment.

Reiljan took the political responsibility for the poor performance of the party in the parliamentary election in 2007 and stepped back. His successor as party chairman in April 2007 Jaanus Marrandi, the 2002/2003 was Estonian Minister of Agriculture.

In the fall of 2008 broke out in the party of a dispute about the substantive modification. On November 1, 2008, the Group Chairman Karel Rüütli could (* 1978) by putting on a party congress as the new Chairman. He did not succeed to reconcile the quarreling camps. In 2010 he had to give up in the face of poor electoral success of his office.

Chairman

• 2000-2007: Villu Reiljan
• 2007: Ms Ester TUIKSOO ( executive)
• 2007/2008: Jaanus Marrandi
• 2008-2010: Karel Rüütli
• 2010: Arvo Sirendi ( executive)
• 2010: Juhan Aare
• 2010/2011: Andrus Blok
• 2011/2012: Margo Miljand

In the parliamentary elections of 1995 from the five parties Koonderakond, Eesti Maarahva Erakond, Eesti Maaliit, Eesti Pensionäride yes Perede Erakond and Põllumeeste Kogu was formed joint list Valimisliit Koonderakond yes Maarahva Ühendus ( KMÜ ) ( " electoral coalition Coalition Party and Country People's Association") 32 % of the votes. It reached 41 of the 101 seats in the parliament ( Riigikogu ) and was by far the strongest faction. The electoral bloc was in the following three cabinets of Prime Minister Tiit Vähi (Cabinet Vähi II, Cabinet Vähi III) and Mart Siimann (Cabinet Siimann I) from 1995 to 1999 participated in the government.

At the 1999 parliamentary elections, the electoral alliance split up. The Eesti Maarahva Erakond received (together with the Eesti Maaliit ) only seven mandates that Koonderakond (together with the EPPE ) also seven. The parties went into opposition.

After the party merger and the dissolution of the Coalition Party, founded in 2000 Estonian People's Union was able to get a good election result in the parliamentary election in 2003 and win thirteen mandates. From 2003 to 2007, the Estonian People's Union was involved in the government in the cabinets of Prime Minister Juhan Parts (Cabinet Parts I) and Andrus Ansip (cabinet Ansip I).

In the parliamentary election in 2007 they suffered heavy losses. With 7.1% of the vote and seven deputies they formed the smallest group in the Riigikogu. The Estonian People's Union again went into opposition.

With the withdrawal of long-time party leader Villu Reiljan 2007, the decline of the party started. In the fall of 2008, the young Karel Rüütli was elected as the new chairman. 2009 split the discussion about a possible unification of the party with the Estonian Social Democratic leadership and membership. In the European elections in the same year the party won only 2.2 % of the vote. In May 2010, the party chairman Karel Rüütli resigned and moved independently to the Social Democrats.

In the 2011 general election, the People's Union, which stood at only 2.1 % of the vote clearly into parliament. The party was at odds internally and showed resolution tendencies. 2012 was the party in the right-wing populist conservatives Estonian People's Party ( Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond ).

• Historic Party ( Estonia)
• Peasant Party