The Social Democratic Party ( et, Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond, SDE) is a
centre-left
Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ...
Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of socialist and labour-oriented political parties and organisation ...
from November 1990 to 2017. It is orientated towards the principles of
social-democracy
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soc ...
, and it supports Estonia's membership in the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of socialist and labour-oriented political parties and organisation ...
in 1990. ESDP formed an electoral alliance with the agrarianEstonian Rural Centre Party (formed in 1990) for 1992 and 1995 elections. In 1996, after electoral defeat these two parties finally merged and named themselves the Moderates (''Mõõdukad''). The Moderates were accepted as a full member of the
Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of socialist and labour-oriented political parties and organisation ...
at its 20th congress in September 1999.
In 1999 the ''Moderates'' and the centre-right People's Party, set up in May 1998 after a fusion of Peasants' Party and People's Party of Republicans and Conservatives (a 1994 splinter group from the Fatherland Alliance), formed the Moderate People's Party (''Rahvaerakond Mõõdukad''). The seemingly unlikely decision to fuse took place on 29 May 1999, with some foreign commentators drawing parallels with ' right-wing socialists'. In November the same year, the unification was formally approved by party's general assembly.
The Moderates' contacts with People's Party predecessors had started in 1998. The two parties had a joint list in 1999 parliamentary election and formed a governing coalition with Pro Patria Union and Reform Party. In 2003, the Moderate People's Party joined the Party of European Socialists. After disappointing election results in
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...
, the party renamed itself the Social Democratic Party (SDE) on 7 February 2004.
It was the most successful party in the 2004 European Parliamentary Election, obtaining 36.8% of the national vote (most of which went to their leading candidate Toomas Hendrik Ilves) and returning 3
MEPs
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, it ...
.
The SDE is committed to the social market economy model, in addition to conventional social-democratic values including equality,
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals ...
Sven Mikser
Sven Mikser (born 8 November 1973) is an Estonian politician.
Career
As a member of the Estonian Centre Party from 2002 to 2003, Mikser served as the minister of defence in the Siim Kallas' cabinet.
Mikser was the leader of the Social Democr ...
joined them. On 28 November former social-liberal Mark Soosaar re-joined the SDE. The party was in opposition from 2002 on, but they participated talks for a common alternative presidential candidate to Arnold Rüütel, SDE's Toomas Hendrik Ilves was elected on 23 September 2006 as the next president of Estonia (apart from the Social Democrats, he was supported by the
Reform Party of Estonia
The Estonian Reform Party ( et, Eesti Reformierakond) is a liberal political party in Estonia. The party has been led by Kaja Kallas since 2018. It is colloquially known as the "Squirrel Party" ( et, Oravapartei).
It was founded in 1994 by Sii ...
, Pro Patria Union and Res Publica deputies).
After last elections to the local government councils on 16 October 2005, the party in most major cities is in opposition, but are a part of the governing coalition in Rakvere and Tapa. The party improved its position in most areas. In Tallinn, it formed a joint list with the agrarian People's Union, which got 6 seats out of 63 seats with 11.1% share of votes. Comparing to 2003. elections to the local government council in Tallinn SDE and People's Union gained seats. In the 2003 election, SDE got a 4.9% share of votes and People's Union 3.4% share of votes, which were both below a 5% election threshold. In Estonia, SDE local lists won 6.43% share of votes. In 2003 they got only 4.39% share of votes nationally. SDE is today represented on 65 local councils out of 206 and is governing in 20 local councils. After the 2003 election the party was represented in 104 local councils out of 247.
SDE's aim in the
2007 Estonian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 4 March 2007. The newly elected 101 members of the 11th Riigikogu assembled at Toompea Castle in Tallinn within ten days of the election. It was the world's first nationwide vote where part of the ...
was to win at least 17 seats out of 101. Independent member of current Riigikogu
Liina Tõnisson
Liina Tõnisson (born 24 May 1940 in Tallinn) is an Estonian politician. She has been a member of VII, VIII, IX, X and XI Riigikogu.
In 1964 she graduated from Tallinn Polytechnical Institute in engineering economics.
From 1995 to 2004, she ...
ran as a candidate in their list. All SDE's MEPs and their current MPs were candidates in the 2007 election. The party got 58,354 votes (10.6% of the total), a gain of +3.6%; it won 10 seats in the new Riigikogu, a gain of four.
In April 2007, the Social Democrats joined the coalition government led by the Estonian Reform Party.
In the 2011 parliamentary election on 6 March 2011, the SDE received 17.1% of the vote and 19 seats.
The small Russian Party in Estonia merged into the SDE in 2012.
Following the resignation of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, a new
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
was sworn in on 26 March 2014, with Taavi Rõivas of the Reform Party serving as Prime Minister in coalition with the SDE.
In the 2014 European elections held on 25 May 2014, the SDE won 13.6% of the national vote, electing a single
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
.
In the 2015 parliamentary election on 1 March 2015, the SDE received 15.2% of the vote and 15 seats in the Riigikogu. After the coalition formation with Reform and IRL, MP Jevgeni Ossinovski announced that he would challenge Sven Mikser in the party congress on 30 May 2015. Mikser however stepped down before the election at the congress and Ossinovski was chosen as the new party leader. On 7 November 2016, the Social Democratic Party and IRL announced that they were asking Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas to resign and were planning on negotiating a new majority government. In the following vote of confidence on 9 November, the majority of Riigikogu voted in favor of removing the prime minister's government.
On 23 November 2016, a new coalition government consisting of the Estonian Centre Party, SDE and IRL was sworn in.
Andres Tarand
Andres Tarand (born 11 January 1940) is an Estonian geographer, climatologist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1994 to 1995. He was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Social Democratic Party, pa ...
Sven Mikser
Sven Mikser (born 8 November 1973) is an Estonian politician.
Career
As a member of the Estonian Centre Party from 2002 to 2003, Mikser served as the minister of defence in the Siim Kallas' cabinet.
Mikser was the leader of the Social Democr ...
Indrek Saar
Indrek Saar (born February 20, 1973) is an Estonian actor and politician, leader of the Social Democratic Party, and former Minister of Culture.
Saar attended secondary school in Kuressaare and graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Hig ...
The party was in government in the following periods: 1992–1994 ( Mart Laar's first government), 1994–1995 (
Andres Tarand
Andres Tarand (born 11 January 1940) is an Estonian geographer, climatologist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1994 to 1995. He was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Social Democratic Party, pa ...
's government, often called to ''Christmas Peace government'' 'jõulurahu valitsus'', 1999–2002 (Mart Laar's second government, often called the ''Triple Alliance'' 'kolmikliit'', and 2007–2009, some of which included participating in three centre-right governments with the Fatherland Union and Reform Party. The party will return to government in
Kaja Kallas' second cabinet
The second cabinet of Kaja Kallas is the incumbent cabinet of Estonia.
Background
On 3 June 2022, Kaja Kallas dismissed Centre Party ministers from her first cabinet after several weeks of disputes between the two parties and Centre party vot ...
on 18 July 2022 in a coalition with Reform and Isamaa.
Members of the Riigikogu
The following are MPs representing the party in the legislature, along with their electoral district
* Jevgeni Ossinovski, Keslinn, Lasnamäe and Pirita, chairman of fraction
* Riina Sikkut, Haabersti, Põhja-Tallinna and Kristiine, vice-chairman of fraction
* Lauri Läänemets, Harju- and Raplamaa
* Kalvi Kõva, Võru-, Valga- and Põlvamaa
* Helmen Kütt, Järva- and Viljandimaa
* Jaak Juske, Haabersti, Põhja-Tallinna and Kristiine
*
Ivari Padar
Ivari Padar (born 12 March 1965 ) is an
Indrek Saar
Indrek Saar (born February 20, 1973) is an Estonian actor and politician, leader of the Social Democratic Party, and former Minister of Culture.
Saar attended secondary school in Kuressaare and graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Hig ...
MEPs
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, it ...
Sven Mikser
Sven Mikser (born 8 November 1973) is an Estonian politician.
Career
As a member of the Estonian Centre Party from 2002 to 2003, Mikser served as the minister of defence in the Siim Kallas' cabinet.
Mikser was the leader of the Social Democr ...
Symbols
Mõõdukad.png, logo of the Moderate People's Party
Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond Teillogo.svg, logo until 2016
Estonian Social Democratic Party logo.png, logo 2016–
See also
*
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
For ...