Estonia opens its polling stations in legislative elections marked by the war in Ukraine

TALLINN, 5 March. (DPA/EP) -

Estonian polling stations have already opened their doors to hold legislative elections in the shadow of the war in Ukraine, amid favoritism from the party of the country's prime minister, Kaja Kallas, although with little chance of an absolute majority.

Almost a million people are qualified to vote in the elections to the 101 seats in the Riigikogu chamber, to which nine parties are present.

Opinion polls have led the liberal Reform Party of Kallas, an ally of the Ukrainian government in the conflict to the point of being considered by the European Union as the true foundation of the international community in helping Kiev.

The prime minister has from the outset defended the application of EU sanctions against Moscow and Western arms deliveries to kyiv. She has also called for a strengthening of NATO's eastern flank against threats from Russia, which she borders on her country.

While Kallas has been seen as the preferred candidate to lead the government, it is unclear whether her tripartite alliance with the Social Democrats and the conservative Isamaa party can maintain her parliamentary majority.

Potential coalitions are likely to be determined by the performance of the two opposition forces, the right-wing populist EKRE party and the left-wing Center Party, so the creation of a new government is anticipated difficult.