Estonian parties already campaigning on the streets, five months before parliamentary election
With Estonia's Riigikogu election still five months away, political parties have already set up street tents and resumed active outreach to voters. Politicians say campaigning never really stopped after the spring local elections.
Although Estonia's parliamentary election is still about five months off, party tents have reappeared on city streets, showing the campaign is effectively already underway. Politicians say engagement with voters never really paused after the municipal elections — activity continued through the summer in Tallinn districts like Nõmme and Mustamäe, as well as across the country.
Social Democratic Party campaign leader Karmo Kuri says representatives have been meeting residents regularly, going out twice a week in Nõmme and Mustamäe since early August. Parties concluded that voters dislike being approached only right before an election, so they decided to keep the dialogue going continuously.
A fierce contest expected
Experts and politicians agree the upcoming Riigikogu election will be unusually intense, which is why the fight for voters' attention has started early. With EU rules now largely blocking paid political advertising on social media, street campaigning has become one of the main ways candidates can reach people.
Isamaa deputy chair Riina Solman stresses that politicians need to stay visible, since being absent from public view can make voters think they are being ignored.
Costs covered out of pocket
Pens, candy, matches and other branded souvenirs are mostly bought with politicians' own money, since party support is minimal. Politicians interviewed cited similar personal campaign budgets, around 10,000 euros. Pirita district elder Kaido Saarnit (Centre Party) noted that posters are expensive — at the last local elections, a large poster there cost 3,500 euros for two weeks.
Politicians say the campaign currently runs mainly on personal ambition, but after the new year it will shift up a gear as party resources are fully deployed. The Social Democrats and Isamaa estimate their overall campaign costs could reach between 1 and 2 million euros.
