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Estonian PM Survives No-Confidence Vote Over Nationalist Ally

Estonian PM Survives No-Confidence Vote Over Nationalist Ally

(Bloomberg) -- Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas survived a no-confidence vote, showing no cracks in unity within his coalition, which includes the nationalist EKRE party.

Lawmakers in Tallinn Friday voted 55-40 to back Ratas’s four-month-old government. The vote was initiated by the opposition, which claimed his failure to rein in EKRE leaders was hurting Estonia and its image. The vote was expected to fail as the ruling coalition controls 56 out of 101 lawmakers.

Estonian PM Survives No-Confidence Vote Over Nationalist Ally

Ratas this month pulled his coalition back from the brink of collapse after EKRE leaders, father and son Mart and Martin Helme, tried to force out the chief of police without consulting the coalition.

The 41-year-old prime minister faces increasing public criticism after he snubbed the election-winning Reform Party following a March ballot and reneged on pledges not to rule with EKRE. His party’s backing has plunged to 16% from 25% in February, according to the Kantar Emor pollster. Reform’s support has surged to a seven-year high of 37%.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ott Ummelas in Tallinn at oummelas@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Andrew Langley

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