Martin Helme
Helme in 2015
Minister of Finance
In office
29 April 2019 – 26 January 2021
Prime MinisterJüri Ratas
Preceded byToomas Tõniste
Succeeded byKeit Pentus-Rosimannus
Leader of the Conservative People's Party
Assumed office
4 July 2020
Preceded byMart Helme
Personal details
Born (1976-04-24) 24 April 1976
Tallinn, Estonia
Political partyEKRE
RelationsMart Helme (father)
Alma materUniversity of Tartu

Martin Helme (born 24 April 1976) is an Estonian politician and current leader of the Conservative People's Party (EKRE).[1][2][3][4] From 2019 to 2021 he was the country's Minister of Finance.[5][6]

Political views

Helme's views have been described as eurosceptic and populist.[7] As one of the key figures in EKRE, Martin Helme advocates for national conservatism. He has been an opponent of Estonia's membership of the European Union and the use of the Euro as the country's currency.[8] He has claimed that immigration is endangering the sovereignty of European states, including Estonia.[9] Helme has been a vocal critic of the UN's Migration Pact.

Helme, then a board member of EKRE,[10] caused controversy in 2013 for his views on immigration. During a TV interview about riots in socially segregated suburbs in Sweden, he said that "Estonia shouldn't allow things to go as far as in England, France and Sweden. Our immigration policy should have one simple rule: if (they're) black, show the door. As simple as that. We shouldn't allow this problem to emerge in the first place".[11] The Estonian translation of "if it's black, show the door" rhymed as "Kui on must, näita ust" ([kuj ɔn must næjtɑ ust]); it gained widespread notoriety and became one of the main slogans connected to EKRE.[12] In March 2019, Helme defended himself by saying that he had made the comments in 2013 before he was a politician, but nonetheless refused to condemn or retract them, stating that he would always stand against mass immigration.[13]

In the area of civil rights, Helme has campaigned against the passing of the Cohabitation Act in Estonia, which entitled same-sex couples to register as civil partners. He later campaigned to repeal the act.[14]

In November 2020, while in the role of the Minister of Finance, Martin Helme claimed in a radio show he has no doubt that the 2020 US elections were falsified and that "If Trump is taken down, the US Constitution will no longer be in effect." The comments resulted in a political crisis that ended with the resignation of the entire Jüri Ratas' second cabinet, including Helme himself.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Martin Helme elected chairman of EKRE". ERR.
  2. ↑ Milne, Richard; Peel, Michael; Khan, Mehreen (16 July 2019). "Estonia's golden image threatened by rise of far-right nationalists". Financial Times.
  3. ↑ "Estonia: How boom-time Baltic republic embraced far right". BBC News. 14 May 2019.
  4. ↑ "Racism, sexism, Nazi economics: Estonia's far right in power". TheGuardian.com. 21 May 2019.
  5. ↑ Olsen, Jan M.; Tanner, Jari (29 April 2019). "Nationalist party enters Estonia's government". Associated Press. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  6. ↑ Gershkovich, Evan (30 April 2019). "Estonia joins the far-right club". Politico. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  7. ↑ Tanner, Jari (3 March 2019). "Center-right party tops Estonia vote, but populists win, too". AP NEWS.
  8. ↑ "Martin Helme: koos euroliiduga saame ka Venemaa". Arvamus. 23 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "EKRE: immigratsioon ohustab Euroopa rahvusriikide suveräänsust". Delfi. 14 May 2015.
  10. ↑ ERR (29 May 2013). "Conservative Politician: If You're Black, Go Back". ERR.
  11. ↑ "Martin Helme soovitus immigratsioonipoliitikaks: kui on must, näita ust". Postimees. 29 May 2013.
  12. ↑ "Aadu Must koalitsiooniläbirääkimistest EKRE-ga: jälgin mureliku tähelepanuga kõiki arenguid, aga hauda endale ei kaeva". Delfi. 12 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Martin Helme seisukohast "Kui on must, näita ust": see väljend pannakse ilmselt mu hauakivile - Uudised.tv3.ee". uudised.tv3.ee. 15 March 2019.
  14. ↑ Uudised, Uued (17 October 2017). "Debatt riigikogus: Martin Helme selgitab kooseluseaduse tühistamise vajadust". Uued Uudised.
  15. ↑ "Mart Helme: Joe Biden and his son corrupt characters". 8 November 2020.
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