Estonian elections: centre-right coalition wins absolute majority; EPP congratulates IRL for impressive gains
Brussels, 7 March 2011
The President of the European People's Party (EPP), Wilfried Martens, congratulated today Estonia's EPP member-party IRL and its leader Mart Laar for winning 20.5% of the vote and increasing its seats from 19 to 23. The Reform/IRL centre-right coalition won a total of 56 seats (out of 101):
"I warmly congratulate my good friend Mart Laar and the IRL for the impressive gains in yesterday's elections, which have given the centre-right coalition a clear majority in the Riigikogu. Estonians have given a strong endorsement to the government's successful polices, including Estonia's membership in the Eurozone," the EPP President underlined.
"I look forward to personally congratulating Mart Laar at the upcoming EPP Summit of 24 March in Brussels," Martens added.
The EPP is the largest and most influential European-level political party of the centre-right, which currently includes 73 member-parties from 39 countries, the Presidents of the Commission, Council, and Parliament, 15 EU and 6 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament.
