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Estonian conservative party to set up shop in Finland

The Conservative People’s Party of Estonia EKRE plans to establish a party group in Helsinki by the end of October. The political group’s mandate will be to represent the interests of Estonians living and working in Finland.

Mart Helme
Image: Risto Vuorinen / YLE

Party chair Mart Helme noted that nearly 100,000 Estonians currently live and work in Finland, and have been alienated from Estonian society and decision-making.

Helme, who is a former Estonian ambassador to Moscow, said that Estonians in Finland have to create ties as well as prepare the groundwork to return to their homeland.

The party group to be set up in Finland at the end of October will not be active in Finnish politics, but is meant to woo the support of  expat Estonians for domestic politics.

Estonians will go to the polls in a general election in March 2015.