Prime Minister Kristen Michal, who took office in July, had lower support in the August prime minister survey than previous premier Kaja Kallas in the June Turu-uuringute AS survey, the news portal of public broadcaster ERR reports, citing Delfi.
While 17 percent of those surveyed supported Kallas as prime minister in June, 15 percent supported Michal in the same position in August, according to the survey. Isamaa chairman Urmas Reinsalu, who is preferred as prime minister by 27 percent of the respondents, still maintains the greatest support, it appears from an overview published by Delfi on Saturday.
The third most popular was Center Party chairman Mihhail Kõlvart, who is supported as prime minister by 13 percent of respondents, 1 percent more than in June. He is followed by Estonian Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) chairman Martin Helme with 10 percent, down from 12 percent in June, Social Democratic Party (SDE) chairman and Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets with 8 percent, up by 2 percent compared to June, and Estonia 200 chairman and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna with 5 percent, a result unchanged from June.
Commenting on the results, Turu-uuringute AS manager Tõnis Stamberg told Delfi that there are two winners in the August poll: Reinsalu, who has remained the most popular prime minister candidate for the tenth month in a row and has now gained even more support, and Läänemets, who maintained his result.
In his opinion, Reinsalu, who scored 22 percent in support in June, gained more votes both because of the departures from EKRE and from the supporters of the Reform Party. However, Stamberg considered the success of Läänemets to be the fact that he was able to increase his overall support by two percentage points, while among his party’s supporters it increased from 35 percent in June to 44 percent in August.
Commenting on Michal’s rating, Stamberg noted that it was probably influenced by the tax increases and cuts included in the new coalition agreement, which are definitely unpleasant for people and have therefore led to some supporters switching over to stand behind the opposition Isamaa.
“It is namely Michal and the Reform Party that, as the prime minister’s party, have taken all of this upon themselves and are paying a toll for it in the ratings,” he said, adding that he does not predict an increase in their support in the fall either.
Source: BNS
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