Estonia's pro-NATO Reform party wins vote

Photo source AFP

Military manoeuvres by Moscow on Estonia's border just days ahead of the vote further stoked deep concerns in Europe that the Kremlin could attempt to destabilise countries that were in its orbit during Soviet times.

NATO is countering the moves by boosting defences on Europe's eastern flank with a spearhead force of 5,000 troops and command centres in six formerly communist members of the alliance, including one in Estonia.

"If they (the Russians) come in here, Estonia can't do anything ... I'm not sure NATO will help us out," Pyotr Sirotkin, a 25-year-old student at Tallinn University, told AFP as he cast his ballot in the capital.

At 35 the fresh-faced Roivas is the EU's youngest head of government. He joined a chorus of Baltic leaders demanding more NATO troops, hardware and air patrols to counter Moscow's heightened military moves.

Most analysts expect him to renew its coalition with the Social Democrats, buttressed by the conservative IRL. It was the biggest loser Sunday, down nine seats to 14.

Pre-election polls had shown Centre, backed mainly by ethnic Russians, narrowly ahead, but party leader Edgar Savisaar, 64, stirred controversy last year when he backed Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

'BREAD-AND-BUTTER'

Some voters were less concerned about the threat posed by Moscow and more focused on bread-and-butter issues. Hot election topics included proposals to triple the monthly minimum wage to €1,000 (US$1,131) and lower social security premiums among other measures.

"I believe there are much more important things than worrying about Russia," 18-year-old student Eve Tonisson told AFP as she voted in Viimsi, a newly affluent town just north of Tallinn attracting professionals from the capital.

"Many young people are moving abroad because of higher wages there ... I personally don't think I'm going to stay in Estonia," she said, reflecting a troubling demographic trend in the tiny nation as Estonians leave to search for a better life.

Long a paragon of fiscal responsibility in the EU, which it joined in 2004, Estonia posted 1.8 per cent economic growth in 2014, with 2.5 per cent expansion expected this year. Joblessness hovered around seven per cent last year.

Deep reforms and years of painful austerity paved the way to Estonia's 2011 eurozone entry and some here believe their comparatively poor country should not pump out more money to save indebted Greece.

"Greece should be able to handle things themselves now," said Martin Kallikivi, a 29-year-old media employee from Viimsi. However, like many Estonians, he understands the social toll that austerity can take and the fact that it will be felt for generations.

"For many years government has not been giving enough support for families with children and Estonia's population is decreasing because of that," Kallikivi said. Total turnout tallied at 63.7 per cent.