National Centre Party (Estonia)

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The National Centre Party (Estonian: Rahvuslik Keskerakond, RKE) was a political party in Estonia.

History

The party was established in October 1931 as the United Nationalists Party by a merger of the Estonian People's Party and the Christian People's Party.[1] In January 1932 the Estonian Labour Party joined the merger, with the party becoming the National Centre Party.[1] In February the Landlords' Party also merged into the party.[1]

Between them the four parties held a combined 26 seats in the Riigikogu.[2] In the 1932 elections the new party won only 23 seats, losing to the Union of Settlers and Smallholders,[3] which had recently been established by a merger of the Farmers' Assemblies party and the Settlers' Party.

Along with all others, the party was banned in 1935 following Konstantin Päts's self-coup.[4]

With the return of democracy, two former RKE members were elected to the Riigikogu in the 1938 elections.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vincent E McHale (1983) Political parties of Europe, Greenwood Press, p384 ISBN 0-313-23804-9
  2. ↑ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p586 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  3. 1 2 Nohlen & Stöver, p587
  4. ↑ McHale, p371
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