Party comparison
SDE vs Parempoolsed: how alike are they?
We compare the documented positions of Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond and Erakond Parempoolsed on the 38 questions in the test, issue by issue.
In brief
How do SDE and Parempoolsed differ?
SDE and Parempoolsed take opposite positions on the economy and the welfare state. SDE fully supports free university education for all, faster pension rises even if taxes have to go up and a higher income tax rate for people who earn more, and Parempoolsed opposes all three; Parempoolsed fully supports healthcare relying more on people’s own responsibility and reducing the budget deficit by cutting spending rather than raising taxes, and SDE fully opposes both. SDE also fully supports harsher penalties for inciting hatred and a climate law with binding targets, and supports a tax on expensive property, keeping small village schools open, less forest felling and cutting VAT on food, all of which Parempoolsed rejects. Parempoolsed fully supports building a nuclear power plant and compulsory military service for women, where SDE 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
Economy and taxes
People who earn more should pay a higher rate of income tax.
Economy and taxes
To reduce the budget deficit, public spending should be cut rather than taxes raised.
Pensions, family and welfare
Pensions should rise faster, even if taxes have to go up to pay for it.
Pensions, family and welfare
Healthcare should rely more on people's own responsibility, for example through higher patient co-payments.
Pensions, family and welfare
University education should be free for all students.
Energy and environment
Estonia should pass a climate law with binding targets for cutting emissions.
Common ground
Where they agree
Energy and environment
More wind farms should be built on land, even if local residents oppose them.
Both: In favour
Values and society
Access to abortion in Estonia should be restricted.
Both: Strongly against
Values and society
Euthanasia should be allowed for terminally ill people who ask for it.
Both: In between
By issue
Agreement by issue
Detail
Question by question
Economy and taxes 21 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| People who earn more should pay a higher rate of income tax. | Strongly in favour | Strongly against |
| VAT on food should be cut, even if the state collects less money. | Strongly in favour | Against |
| The annual car tax should be abolished. | Against | In favour |
| A tax on expensive property should be introduced so that taxes on work can be lowered. | In favour | Strongly against |
| The standard VAT rate should be brought back down from 24%, even if public spending has to be cut. | Against | Strongly in favour |
| To reduce the budget deficit, public spending should be cut rather than taxes raised. | Strongly against | Strongly in favour |
Pensions, family and welfare 19 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| Pensions should rise faster, even if taxes have to go up to pay for it. | Strongly in favour | Strongly against |
| Families with three or more children should receive much larger benefits than families with one or two children. | Against | Strongly against |
| Healthcare should rely more on people's own responsibility, for example through higher patient co-payments. | Strongly against | Strongly in favour |
| University education should be free for all students. | Strongly in favour | Strongly against |
Defence and security 63 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| Estonia should keep defence spending at 5% of GDP or more, even if that means cuts in other areas. | In favour | Strongly in favour |
| Estonia should keep giving Ukraine military aid worth at least 0.25% of GDP every year. | Strongly in favour | In favour |
| Women should also do compulsory military service. | Against | Strongly in favour |
| Frozen Russian assets should be used to fund Ukraine. | Strongly in favour | In favour |
Europe and foreign affairs 38 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| The EU should hand powers back to member states rather than take on new ones. | Strongly against | In favour |
| The EU should be able to take foreign policy decisions by majority vote, without needing unanimity. | In between | Strongly in favour |
Migration 75 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| Estonia should make it easier to hire workers from outside the EU when companies cannot find staff. | In between | In favour |
| The annual immigration quota should not be increased. | In between | Against |
Language and integration 75 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| All schooling should switch to Estonian by 2030, including in schools where most pupils speak Russian. | In favour | Strongly in favour |
| It should be easier for people who have lived in Estonia since before 1991 to obtain Estonian citizenship. | In between | Against |
| People who work with customers should be required to speak Estonian, with higher fines if they do not. | In between | In favour |
| Churches in Estonia should be required to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. | Strongly in favour | In favour |
| Estonian citizens should be allowed to also hold the citizenship of another EU or NATO country. | In between | In favour |
Energy and environment 45 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| Estonia should build a nuclear power plant. | Against | Strongly in favour |
| Estonia should keep producing electricity from oil shale in the long term. | Against | In between |
| Estonia should pass a climate law with binding targets for cutting emissions. | Strongly in favour | Strongly against |
| More wind farms should be built on land, even if local residents oppose them. | In favour | In favour |
| The amount of forest felled in Estonia each year should be reduced. | Strongly in favour | Against |
Values and society 70 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| The Constitution should define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. | Strongly against | Against |
| Access to abortion in Estonia should be restricted. | Strongly against | Strongly against |
| Tougher punishments reduce crime more than prevention and rehabilitation do. | Against | In between |
| 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. | Strongly in favour | Strongly against |
Government and democracy 67 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| Internet voting should be kept in elections. | In favour | Strongly in favour |
| The President of the Republic should be elected directly by the citizens. | Against | Strongly against |
| Citizens should be able to trigger a binding referendum by collecting signatures. | In between | Strongly against |
Regions and rural life 38 %
| Question | SDE | Parempoolsed |
|---|---|---|
| The state should keep small village schools open even if they have few pupils. | Strongly in favour | Against |
| Public transport should be free throughout Estonia. | In between | Strongly against |
What about you? Which of the two do you agree with more?
Take the test and find out how closely you match SDE, Parempoolsed and the other parties.
Take the political test