Party comparison

Keskerakond vs SDE: how alike are they?

We compare the documented positions of Eesti Keskerakond and Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond on the 38 questions in the test, issue by issue.

Keskerakond

Centrism, social conservatism

64 %

overall agreement

SDE

Social democracy, centre-left

In brief

How do Keskerakond and SDE differ?

Keskerakond and SDE are close on the economy and social policy: both fully support a higher income tax rate for people who earn more, cutting VAT on food and keeping small village schools open, and both fully oppose healthcare relying more on people’s own responsibility and co-payments. They differ most on climate, church ties and values: SDE fully supports a climate law with binding targets, requiring churches to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate and harsher penalties for inciting hatred, and Keskerakond opposes all three. Keskerakond fully supports producing electricity from oil shale in the long term, electing the president directly and abolishing the car tax, which SDE rejects, and SDE fully supports using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, where Keskerakond disagrees.

This summary is based on the parties’ documented positions on the test statements; the source of each position is on the party’s page. Updated 17/10/2026.

Differences

Where they clash most

Language and integration

Churches in Estonia should be required to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Keskerakond Strongly against

Its parliamentary group voted in 2025 against the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which require the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church to cut its subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate.

SDE Strongly in favour

Its parliamentary group and four of its five non-affiliated MPs voted in 2025 for the amended Churches Act, which requires the Orthodox Church to cut its subordination to Moscow.

Energy and environment

Estonia should pass a climate law with binding targets for cutting emissions.

Keskerakond Strongly against

Its December 2025 Tallinn coalition agreement asks the government to drop the climate bill, and in 2025 it promised to halt the ideological green transition.

SDE Strongly in favour

It wants a climate law with clear, binding sectoral targets; in 2026 it said it would not back the government's watered-down bill precisely because it lacks them.

Economy and taxes

The annual car tax should be abolished.

Keskerakond Strongly in favour

In November 2025 its party council called for scrapping the car tax, and its Tallinn coalition agreement commits to working for its repeal by January 2027 at the latest.

SDE Against

In 2025 its leader said the car tax was introduced because the Reform Party wanted to scrap the 'tax hump', which the SDE opposed; in 2026 he pledged to change the tax, not abolish it.

Defence and security

Frozen Russian assets should be used to fund Ukraine.

Keskerakond Against

In 2024 none of its MPs voted for the law allowing frozen Russian assets to be used to compensate Ukraine: five did not vote and one was absent.

SDE Strongly in favour

Its 2024 European manifesto considers it very important to find a legally sound way to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine's economy.

Energy and environment

Estonia should keep producing electricity from oil shale in the long term.

Keskerakond Strongly in favour

In 2025 its party council called for building new power plants based above all on Estonia's own oil shale, and its municipal programme promises to keep producing energy from shale.

SDE Against

Its 2026 energy plan rules out new oil shale plants and keeps the existing boilers only as a reserve until at least 2040; renewables would be the backbone.

Values and society

Inciting hatred against a group of people should be punished more severely.

Keskerakond Against

In 2023 its MP Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart criticised the hate speech bill, saying it was unclear what problem it solved and that existing law already covered the issue.

SDE Strongly in favour

Its 2023 manifesto pledges to ban hate speech and make inciting hatred an aggravating factor in crimes; in 2023 its MP chairing the legal affairs committee defended the hate speech bill.

Common ground

Where they agree

Economy and taxes

People who earn more should pay a higher rate of income tax.

Both: Strongly in favour

Economy and taxes

VAT on food should be cut, even if the state collects less money.

Both: Strongly in favour

Economy and taxes

A tax on expensive property should be introduced so that taxes on work can be lowered.

Both: In favour

Pensions, family and welfare

Healthcare should rely more on people's own responsibility, for example through higher patient co-payments.

Both: Strongly against

Defence and security

Women should also do compulsory military service.

Both: Against

Values and society

Euthanasia should be allowed for terminally ill people who ask for it.

Both: In between

By issue

Agreement by issue

Economy and taxes 75 %

Pensions, family and welfare 75 %

Defence and security 63 %

Europe and foreign affairs 63 %

Migration 75 %

Language and integration 55 %

Energy and environment 45 %

Values and society 70 %

Government and democracy 58 %

Regions and rural life 75 %

Detail

Question by question

Economy and taxes 75 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
People who earn more should pay a higher rate of income tax.	Strongly in favour	Strongly in favour
VAT on food should be cut, even if the state collects less money.	Strongly in favour	Strongly in favour
The annual car tax should be abolished.	Strongly in favour	Against
A tax on expensive property should be introduced so that taxes on work can be lowered.	In favour	In favour
The standard VAT rate should be brought back down from 24%, even if public spending has to be cut.	In favour	Against
To reduce the budget deficit, public spending should be cut rather than taxes raised.	Against	Strongly against

Pensions, family and welfare 75 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
Pensions should rise faster, even if taxes have to go up to pay for it.	In favour	Strongly in favour
Families with three or more children should receive much larger benefits than families with one or two children.	In favour	Against
Healthcare should rely more on people's own responsibility, for example through higher patient co-payments.	Strongly against	Strongly against
University education should be free for all students.	In favour	Strongly in favour

Defence and security 63 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
Estonia should keep defence spending at 5% of GDP or more, even if that means cuts in other areas.	Against	In favour
Estonia should keep giving Ukraine military aid worth at least 0.25% of GDP every year.	In favour	Strongly in favour
Women should also do compulsory military service.	Against	Against
Frozen Russian assets should be used to fund Ukraine.	Against	Strongly in favour

Europe and foreign affairs 63 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
The EU should hand powers back to member states rather than take on new ones.	In between	Strongly against
The EU should be able to take foreign policy decisions by majority vote, without needing unanimity.	Against	In between

Migration 75 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
Estonia should make it easier to hire workers from outside the EU when companies cannot find staff.	Against	In between
The annual immigration quota should not be increased.	In favour	In between

Language and integration 55 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
All schooling should switch to Estonian by 2030, including in schools where most pupils speak Russian.	In between	In favour
It should be easier for people who have lived in Estonia since before 1991 to obtain Estonian citizenship.	Strongly in favour	In between
People who work with customers should be required to speak Estonian, with higher fines if they do not.	Against	In between
Churches in Estonia should be required to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate.	Strongly against	Strongly in favour
Estonian citizens should be allowed to also hold the citizenship of another EU or NATO country.	In favour	In between

Energy and environment 45 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
Estonia should build a nuclear power plant.	In between	Against
Estonia should keep producing electricity from oil shale in the long term.	Strongly in favour	Against
Estonia should pass a climate law with binding targets for cutting emissions.	Strongly against	Strongly in favour
More wind farms should be built on land, even if local residents oppose them.	Against	In favour
The amount of forest felled in Estonia each year should be reduced.	In favour	Strongly in favour

Values and society 70 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
The Constitution should define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.	Against	Strongly against
Access to abortion in Estonia should be restricted.	Against	Strongly against
Tougher punishments reduce crime more than prevention and rehabilitation do.	In between	Against
Euthanasia should be allowed for terminally ill people who ask for it.	In between	In between
Inciting hatred against a group of people should be punished more severely.	Against	Strongly in favour

Government and democracy 58 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
Internet voting should be kept in elections.	In between	In favour
The President of the Republic should be elected directly by the citizens.	Strongly in favour	Against
Citizens should be able to trigger a binding referendum by collecting signatures.	In favour	In between

Regions and rural life 75 %

Question	Keskerakond	SDE
The state should keep small village schools open even if they have few pupils.	Strongly in favour	Strongly in favour
Public transport should be free throughout Estonia.	Strongly in favour	In between

What about you? Which of the two do you agree with more?

Take the test and find out how closely you match Keskerakond, SDE and the other parties.

Take the political test