The populism fell on its face again in Estonia.
Estonia's progressive, liberal (which is not a curse word there) center-right party (Reform) won big in the 2023 Estonian parliamentary elections. In the typically diverse party spectrum, Reform captured 31% of the votes, which is enough to secure 33 seats in the 101-member parliament. It is worth noting that in Estonia, math rules, as with 31% of the vote, one can obtain around 30% of the seats. The following populist far-right party (EKRE) received only half as many votes, at 15.8%, which will likely translate to 17 seats. All other parties (six parties entered the parliament) received fewer votes. In accordance with Estonian political traditions, intense coalition negotiations will now take place. The ruling and apparently re-elected Prime Minister of the Reform Party, Kaja Kallas, will now have to find a partner or partners with whom she can form a minimum of a 50+1 parliamentary majority. In Estonian political culture, there is a strong tradition of coalition negotiations. Th