Eesti 200 MPs Ando Kiviberg and Toomas Uibo say their struggling coalition party should skip next March's Riigikogu elections and instead focus on rebuilding for 2031.
Kiviberg told ERR he has not decided whether to run for reelection in March, but if the party decides to run, he would have to act as a team player.
Still, he sees little sense in the party throwing money away at this point, believing Eesti 200 should sit out the 2027 elections instead.
"The party should lick its wounds, do a little soul-searching and commit to preparing properly for 2031," Kiviberg said. He added that he has already discussed the issue with other party members but expects a final decision to be made at Sunday's party council meeting.
Party whip Toomas Uibo, meanwhile, said voters have already made up their minds about Eesti 200, as their rating hit a historic 1.3 percent low in Norstat polls earlier this month.
"I don't know if miracles like this happen, but right now I don't see any point in wasting taxpayer money on running in the elections," he admitted.
While members may still decide on a different course on Sunday, Uibo likewise believes Eesti 200 should instead regroup and focus on the 2031 elections.
Potential Greens merger raises questions
Eesti 200 and the nonparliamentary Estonian Greens are discussing a possible merger, but Kiviberg said this may not necessarily be the right move. "Several party members I've spoken with share my views," he said.
Uibo noted he was unsure whether the two parties have enough in common to unite.
"Of course, you can't expect two different parties to come together and agree on absolutely everything," he said, adding that the question is whether both parties are willing to set enough aside and compromise. "It's still unclear how much common ground we have."
Kiviberg nonetheless ruled out running on another party's ticket next spring and said he has received no such offers. He said he remains committed to Eesti 200 because he believes its ideas are necessary and sound, and will ultimately benefit the country. The question, he said, is how effectively the party has put those ideas into practice.
While Uibo and Kiviberg argued that Eesti 200 should sit out the upcoming elections, fellow MP Peeter Tali told ERR he currently intends to run.
"A politician has to run," Tali said. "If they're no longer a politician, then they don't have to."
--