Good party and like-minded people!
15 days have passed since the day of the election – it is a long enough time to let the first emotions settle and a short enough period to write down the first analyzes and thoughts. I want to thank you all first. Both those who ran and all the party members who helped the candidates chose the Center Party and advised others to do the same. 93,254 Estonian citizens trusted the Center Party. Thank you! We need to prove that the trust of these people is justified.
Yes, the party’s situation is complicated. Compared to the 2019 Riigikogu elections, our team got about 36,000 fewer votes, and we certainly cannot say that everything is fine. In addition to the surroundings, you also have to look in the mirror, and I do this by actively meeting party colleagues in the constituencies and interacting with many of you. I have mapped out some thoughts that I want to highlight and that we need to pay more attention to.
1) In the existing situation, we made a result, on which it is possible to rise and go to the next elections as a favorite. It is clear that the main theme of these elections was security, and the background of the elections was determined by the ongoing war in Ukraine. In its messages, principles and values, the Estonian Central Party has clearly and strongly confirmed the positions of Estonia and Europe and emphasized the importance of supporting and helping Ukraine. That’s how it has been and that’s how it must remain. As a political party whose roots start from the People’s Front, we understand what it means to bravely and unitedly stand up for our homeland.
2) We must not sever our roots due to backlash. For the Center Party, the socio-economic axis, the reduction of poverty and inequality, a strong regional policy and, of course, a balancing force on the national axis must continue to be important. Today it is clearly visible how important our role has been to speak to all the people living in Estonia and that Russian-speaking people living in Estonia must not be pushed aside because of Russian aggression.
3) However, it is important to make sense of new and existing topics. The Center Party has stood for the middle class and its development. However, we need to define more precisely and explain to the public who these people are, what we want to achieve and how. Likewise, I see that we need to pay more attention and strengthen competence in topics such as the natural environment, people’s mental health, energy, and finance and the tax environment. We must also give clear answers in educational matters. These are already big and serious issues to deal with and win supporters over. Together, we also have to think about what are the issues and areas that speak to young people. For these reasons, I will soon convene a working group to update the program.
4) We had less funds during the Riigikogu elections due to the ERJK’s demand and the payment of approx. 850,000 euros. Of course, this meant that our campaign on TV, streetscape, radio, online and elsewhere was less visible and we couldn’t get our messages across. The party’s office and our partners carefully used every euro to get the maximum result and I believe it was done well. However, doubling the cost of the campaign would probably not have resulted in a significantly better result. The campaigns of the political parties that broadcast us were 2-3 times more expensive, yet the difference with EKRE was only one seat in the parliament.
5) We must clearly look at the statistics and understand the situation, why we could not achieve results and get mandates in Ida-Virumaa or mainly in the Estonian-speaking regions. Although we try to be a unifier, the ratings show that the percentage of Estonian-speaking Center Party supporters has remained low. The war in Ukraine plays a role here, as well as the image that accompanies the party, in which party colleagues have stated that our messages to people with different mother tongues have seemed like sitting on two chairs. This cannot be, it is not sustainable and it must stop. We have not spoken differently, but we need to more clearly define and articulate our positions on issues that primarily concern native Russian speakers, but which are important to both communities.
6) In addition to updating the program, marketing activities must be looked at, strategy and goals must be established in the soon-to-be-established parliamentary group. We lack financial resources this year and next year. Our greatest resource is people. Everyone’s contribution – whether on social media, newspaper columns or talking to acquaintances – it is important.
7) We need to make a strong start and take the role of the leader of the opposition. Our team, experience, knowledge and hard work provide an excellent opportunity for this. We must not let this ball drop. In the ratings survey conducted after the elections, we were broadcasting EKRE. The role of the Center Party is to once again be the main force and counterweight to the Reform Party’s policy.
8) Strength comes from ourselves. To do this, we need to be strong as an organization. I understand that budget cuts have reduced the ability to do new events, motivate people and find members. I thank the regional chairmen, boards and everyone who has taken on this difficult and necessary work. According to the statute, annual meetings of regions and departments must be held once a year. I propose to the board that they could be done from April to May.
9) We have a party council in place, which will take place on April 15 in Tallinn. I request all commissioners to take part in this. Invitations and agenda are coming soon. Of course, this council must analyze the result and discuss how to proceed.
10) Our result, 16 mandates, does not give reason to rejoice, but has not pushed us away from the competition. The three political parties got a similar result in the elections and are, so to speak, on the same page despite everything we had to deal with. At the same time, there are examples from Estonia, Latvia and Finland of how big falls can hit political parties, including those from which it is no longer possible to recover. We need to keep this in mind when planning our next steps, because any careless decisions can make us irrevocably worse off.
Good friends! I believe that we all agree that Estonia needs the Center Party, its thoughts and experiences as a balancing and driving force. We must always keep this in mind. We can successfully participate in the life of Estonia when we are strong ourselves and understand the responsibility that lies on our shoulders. Various crises have shown that by sticking together in difficult situations, we can manage and that we can solve the concerns before us by keeping a balance.
Power to Estonia, power to the Central Party!
Jüri Ratas
