Together (Estonian political party)

Together (Estonian: Koos, Russian: Вместе), officially known as the Party of Estonian Patriots TOGETHER (Estonian: Eesti Patriootide Erakond KOOS; Russian: Партия патриотов Эстонии ВМЕСТЕ)[1] is a pro-Russia political party in Estonia. The party is led by crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov, who ran on the list of the Estonian United Left Party for the 2023 parliamentary election. On 19 May 2023, he announced that he would be moving to Russia to lead the party from there out of fear of being detained by the Internal Security Service.[2]

Together
Koos
Вместе
LeaderOleg Ivanov
Founded19 May 2022 (2022-05-19)
Legalized8 May 2023
Membership (2023)1941
IdeologySocial conservatism
Non-interventionism
Pro-Russia
Isolationism
Civic nationalism
National affiliationEstonian United Left Party (2023)
Riigikogu
0 / 101
European Parliament
(Estonian seats)
0 / 7
Website
koos-vmeste.ee
Initial logo

History

The non-profit association Koos Rahu Eest in Eesti is registered with the movement.

On 24 April 2022, Ivanov posted a video where he called the Bucha massacre staged. He also urged the "Baltic regimes", which can organize a similar murder in the Baltic countries, to shoot "dissidents". "Estonia is destined to be destroyed in the war with Russia. The allies are fighting Russia with the hands of their vassal states, and not directly. According to the plans of the allies, Estonia will be destroyed. Everything is being done so that the Baltic states become the next hotbed of war. The same criminals who brought the masses to syringes are now pushing countries to go to war with Russia."

In November 2022, Ivanov participated in the program of the well-known Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, where he said that Estonia should be open to negotiations, but the current orientation towards "escalation" does not bode well: "Our main message is peace and inter-ethnic harmony in Estonia."

Danish Radio (DR) quoted Ivanov "I know that Putin launched a military operation. But I also know that if Putin had not done it, the Ukrainian army would have attacked Donbass within days".[3]

On 30 November 2022, the registry department of the Tartu County Court did not register the movement as a political party, as the total number of its members was below the required minimum – at least 500 members.[4] Therefore, the movement decided to participate in the 2023 elections as part of the Estonian United Left Party.

Together was legally registered as a political party on 8 May 2023.[5]

Political programme

The election program of the movement envisages the neutrality of the Republic of Estonia and non-membership of military alliances (i.e. Estonia outside of NATO), as well as granting Estonian citizenship to all people who lived there in 1991 and abolishing the institution of non-citizens (the so-called "gray passport"). The election program also includes "preservation and protection of traditional values, family, religion, cultural and historical heritage. Also present is a ban on rewriting history and destroying monuments, and a requirement that defense spending not exceed 1% of the gross domestic product."[6]

References

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