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Estonia’s far-Right EKRE party threaten election upset

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Estonia's far-Right EKRE party threaten election upsetEstonia’s surging far-Right is threatening to bring down the country’s liberal government in elections that mark the spread of populism to the furthest corners of the EU. The country’s extremist EKRE party has more than doubled its support ahead of today’s election, threatening a significant upset to the country’s two main parties. The party, which is set to increase its share of the parliament’s 101 seats from 8 to 20, has previously called for an “Estxit” referendum, with recent successes mirroring the rise of right-wing populism across Europe and the US.  A torch-lit march through the capital city of Tallinn last week, part-organised by EKRE, bore a striking resemblance to the Unite the Right “Tiki torch” marches held by Trump supporters in Charlottesville in 2017. Some 10,000 Estonians are believed to have taken part.  EKRE, whose name stands for The Conservative People’s Party of Estonia, is capitalising on growing anti-refugee sentiment and concerns that the tiny nation might be swallowed up into a federalised EU. The tenure of Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas is under threat from the surging far-Right EKRE party Credit: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters Tajo Kadajas, 65, from Estonia’s second-largest city of Tartu, said he voted for EKRE over fears that the country was losing its identity. “The EU has forced quotas on us, to attract thousands of migrants. Members of our parliament just push buttons, rubber stamping all the laws that come out of Brussels”. “I voted EKRE because they stand for the preservation of our nation, and our Estonian culture and language”. However, this anti-refugee sentiment stands at odds to official statistics. Of the 550 refugees Estonia was required to take in, it is estimated that only 206 asylum seekers ever arrived in the country and that 80 of those have already left. EKRE’s rise has followed populist Right-wing movements sweeping Europe from north-to-south, Italy Sweden. But while many parties are share sympathetic views towards Russia, EKRE takes a hard line against its neighbour. Nationalist sentiment in Estonia is rooted in Russian expansionism and aggression, and among EKRE’s promises are to close the Russian-speaking schools that cater for 20 per cent of the country’s school-age population.  The upswell in support for EKRE is sweeping away smaller parties that traditionally make up a centrist coalition.  Dr Allan Sikk of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies said “uneasy bedfellows” from across the political spectrum may need to work together in order to keep EKRE out of power.