The National Centre Party ( et, Rahvuslik Keskerakond, ''RKE'') was a political party in

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

History

The party was established in October 1931 as the United Nationalists Party by a merger of the

Estonian People's Party The Estonian People's Party ( et, Eesti Rahvaerakond, ER) was a centre-right political party in Estonia. History The party was established in March 1919 by a merger of the Estonian Democratic Party and the Estonian Radical Democratic Party.Vin ...

and the Christian People's Party.Vincent E McHale (1983) ''Political parties of Europe'', Greenwood Press, p384 In January 1932 the

Estonian Labour Party The Estonian Labour Party ( et, Eesti Tööerakond, ETE) was a political party in Estonia. It was formed in 1919 by a merger of the Radical Socialist Party and the Social Travaillist Party, and ceased to exist in 1932, when it merged with other ce ...

joined the merger, with the party becoming the National Centre Party. In February the Landlords' Party also merged into the party. Between them the four parties held a combined 26 seats in the

Riigikogu The Riigikogu (; from Estonian ''riigi-'', of the state, and ''kogu'', assembly) is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the Prime Minister and Chief Just ...

. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p586 In the 1932 elections the new party won only 23 seats, losing to the

Union of Settlers and Smallholders The Union of Settlers and Smallholders ( et, Asunikkude ning väikemaapidajate Koondis, ''AVK'') was a political party in Estonia. History The party was established in 1932 as a merger of the ruling Farmers' Assemblies party and the Settlers' Pa ...

, which had recently been established by a merger of the

Farmers' Assemblies The Farmers' Assemblies ( et, Põllumeeste Kogud) was a conservative political party in Estonia. Led by Konstantin Päts, it was one of the ruling parties during most of the interwar period. History The Rural League (''Maarahva Liit'') was forme ...

party and the

Settlers' Party The Settlers' Party ( et, Asunikkude partei) was a political party in Estonia. History The party was established in 1923 as the Settlers' Group (''Asunikkude koondis''), a breakaway from Farmers' Assemblies.Vincent E McHale (1983) ''Political pa ...

. Along with all other political parties, its activities were suspended in 1935 (a year after the 1934

Konstantin Päts Konstantin Päts (; – 18 January 1956) was an Estonian statesman and the country's president in 1938–1940. Päts was one of the most influential politicians of the independent democratic Republic of Estonia, and during the two decades prior ...

' government had declared a nationwide state of emergency).McHale, p371 In the

1938 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1938. Africa * 1938 South African general election Asia * 1938 Philippine general election * 1938 Philippine legislative election * 1938 Soviet Union regional elections Europe * 1938 Estonian parl ...

, two former RKE members were elected to parliament.Nohlen & Stöver, p587

References

{{Authority control Banned political parties Defunct political parties in Estonia Political parties established in 1931 Political parties disestablished in 1935