Florian Hartleb is a political scientist who lives in EstoniaImage: Herkki Merila
The EKRE was only formed in 2012. How would you describe the party? Are its members “Estonia first” nationalists? Are they people who blame everything on the European Union, as is the case with many other populist movements in Europe?
The party is a family operation, similar to the National Rally in France, because father Mart Helme and son Martin Helme lead the party and often make appearances together. The EKRE was born in mainstream society. Mart Helme was the former the Estonian ambassador to Russia. The Helme family is generally very well regarded in Estonia. But the EKRE went on to become more radical and today its platform is comparable to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) or the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). The EKRE also wants to sever ties with the West and says that we can leave the EU.
Does the EKRE have connections to groups that in Germany would be labeled as neo-Nazis or neofascists? I am thinking of organizations such as the Soldiers of Odin, who are active in Northern Europe.
Yes, the Soldiers of Odin were founded in Finland during the refugee crisis with the goal of replacing the regular police. These “soldiers” take part in EKRE rallies as so-called security forces. There are contacts and connections, but not to Russia. There is a tendency among the AfD, even more so among the National Rally or the FPÖ, to associate themselves with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is not the case with EKRE.
What does this mean for the European Parliament elections in May? Will the trend towards the far-right and populism continue?
It can be assumed that the right-wing populists will again gain ground, even with Estonia being a very pro-EU country. Slogans such as “Leave the EU” actually only appeal to between 15 to 20 percent of the population.
Florian Hartleb is a political scientist and consultant. He is an expert on far-right populist parties in Europe and lives in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
Source link : https://www.dw.com/en/far-right-stoking-fears-in-estonias-parliamentary-election/a-47767421
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Publish date : 2019-03-04 08:00:00
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