Far-Right Surges in Estonia Amid Outrage Over Tax Increases

(Bloomberg) -- Estonia’s far right surged ahead of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’s party in an opinion poll after the newly elected premier came under pressure for tax hikes and spending cuts.

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The ultranationalist EKRE party surged to 24.4% weeks after suffering a bruising election defeat to Kallas’s Reform party, which garnered 22.2%, according to a Norstat poll published Wednesday. Kallas scored a commanding election victory on March 5, buoyed by her staunch support of Ukraine and commitment to the NATO alliance.

Opposition parties led by EKRE for weeks have blocked a sweeping tax hike in parliament after Kallas’s three-party coalition signed off on the plan to shore up the Baltic nation’s budget deficit.

The increase, as well as the reversal of a child-benefits package, were not on the agenda ahead of the vote, leading critics to accuse her of breaking a campaign promise.

The poll signals a resurgence of nationalist forces in the nation of 1.3 million bordering Russia, showing that popular support for the far-right agenda is resilient. EKRE wants a halt to migration and accused Kallas of “warmongering” over Ukraine ahead of the election.

The far-right party is led by former Finance Minister Martin Helme, 47, a polarizing figure who gained notoriety for comments that drew accusations of racism and homophobia.

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