Russian Party in Estonia

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Russian Party in Estonia
Vene Erakond Eestis
Русская партия Эстонии
FounderAleksei Sorokin
Founded1920
Dissolved2012
Merged intoSocial Democratic Party
IdeologyRussian minority interests
Plurinationalism
Cultural autonomy
Political positionSyncretic
Colours 

The Russian Party in Estonia (Estonian: Vene Erakond Eestis, VEE; Russian: Русская партия Эстонии) was a minor political party in Estonia.

History[edit]

The party was originally established as the Russian National Union (Estonian: Vene Rahvuslik Liit; Russian: Русский национальный союз), a right-of-centre party, in 1920.[1] It received 1% of the national vote in the parliamentary elections that year,[2] winning a single seat in the Riigikogu.[3]

After Estonia regained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union the Russian Party of Estonia was established in 1994 as the legal successor to the Russian National Union.[4] For the 1995 elections the party formed the "Our Home is Estonia" alliance with the Estonian United People's Party.[5] The alliance won six seats.

The party ran alone in the 1999 elections, receiving 2% of the vote but failing to win a seat.[6][7] The 2003 elections saw the party's vote share fall to just 0.2% as it remained without representation in the Riigikogu. It received 0.2% of the vote again in the 2007 elections and 0.9% in the 2011 elections, failing to win a seat on either occasion.

In 2012 the party merged into the Social Democratic Party.[8]

Election results[edit]

Riigikogu[edit]

Election Votes % Seats +/– Status
1920 8,623 1.8 (#9)
1 / 100
Opposition
1995 31,763 5.87 (#6)
6 / 101
Opposition
1999 9,825 2.03 (#9)
0 / 101
Decrease 6 Extraparliamentary
2003 990 0.20 (#11)
0 / 101
Steady Extraparliamentary
2007 1,084 0.20 (#10)
0 / 101
Steady Extraparliamentary
2011 5,029 0.87 (#7)
0 / 101
Steady Extraparliamentary

References[edit]

  1. ^ David James Smith, John Hiden (2012) Ethnic Diversity and the Nation State: National Cultural Autonomy Revisited, Routledge, p64
  2. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p582 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  3. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p586
  4. ^ Janusz Bugajski (2002) Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era, M.E. Sharpe, p78
  5. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p579
  6. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p585
  7. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p587
  8. ^ Social Dems Seal Merger with Russian Party Social Democratic Party