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Helbe Paasuke (1985-) was an Estonian EKRE politician who served as President of Estonia from 22 April 2019.

Biography[]

Helbe Paasuke was born in Jogeva, Estonia in 1985, and she worked as a lawyer before entering politics with the right-wing populist Conservative People's Party of Estonia. Paasuke was a staunch xenophobe, social conservative, populist, eurosceptic, and nationalist, and she was named her party's leader ahead of the 8 April 2019 elections to the Riigikogu. Paasuke led her party to place in second with 20.35% of the vote and 7/35 seats, behind the classical liberal Estonian Reform Party's 29.09% and 10/35 seats, and ahead of the liberal Estonian Centre Party's 20.19% and 7/35 seats, the conservative Isamaa party's 19.20% and 7/35 seats, and the Social Democratic Party of Estonia's 11.18% and 4/35 seats. In the 22 April 2019 presidential election, Paasuke moderated her personal views to win the support not only of her far-right party, but also from the Christian democratic supporters of Isamaa and socially conservative Russians who previously voted for the Centre Party.

Presidency[]

Paasuke inherited a budget of €146 million with a weekly growth of €6 million. The Riigikogu voted 28-4 to approve public housing, 28-2 to create a bus transport service, 19-12 to abolish the housing tax, 31-0 to raise the constitutional amendment threshold to 80%, 17-10 against a 10% election threshold (by then, the Social Democrats were polling at just 12.32% of the vote, making them liable for elimination should their vote share decline further), 9-9 against an income tax (with 12 abstentions; by then, the budget had stalled at €147 million), 31-1 to approve agriculture research, 24-4 to approve a tobacco tax, 17-14 against a coffee tax, 24-4 against a stamp duty, and 19-5 to keep the agricultural subsidy.

On 1 June 2020, new elections were held for the Riigikogu. The Reform Party fell to 26.43% (-2.66%) and 10/35 seats, EKRE rose to 22.36% (+2.01%) and 8/35 seats (+1 seat), the Center Party fell to 17.65% (-2.54%) and 6/35 seats (-1 seat), Isamaa fell to 16.51% (-2.69%) and 6 seats (-1 seat), and the Social Democrats rose to 13.41% (+2.23%) and 5/35 seats (+1 seat); Estonia 200 won 3.63% and no seats. The election was marked by EKRE winning support from Isamaa voters and some Centre Party voters shifting their support to the SDE, while the Reform Party lost some of its liberal voters to Estonia 200, which failed to attain representation.

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