Instead of contracting out creative direction, media buying, and strategy to commercial firms, the Center Party, the Social Democrats (SDE), the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE), and the relatively newer political force Parempoolsed will rely exclusively on their internal structures, member expertise, and personal networks to engage voters ahead of the March 7, 2027, national election.
Political parties in Estonia derive their operational funding primarily from two main revenue streams: state support allocated in proportion to their size for parties that poll above two percent during an election cycle, and private donations. By bringing campaign management in-house, these four parties are opting to bypass the substantial retainers and service fees typically commanded by professional ad agencies, redirecting those funds directly into media placement, grassroots mobilization, and other core operational needs.
The Center Party, one of the country’s most established political organizations, expressed complete confidence in the capabilities of its existing personnel to handle the multifaceted demands of a national parliamentary campaign.
"Our current team is strong and professional and has long-term political experience. The Center Party team has enough experience and knowledge to plan and carry out its own election campaign," a Center Party spokesperson told ERR, highlighting that the party’s internal staff is more than equipped to navigate the political landscape independently.
Emphasizing a proven track record of self-reliance, the spokesperson noted that avoiding outside agencies is not a novel experiment for the party. "No advertising agency is running our campaign. That’s how we organized the previous local government and European Parliament election campaigns too, relying on our members’ knowledge, experience and creativity," they added, signaling continuity in their electoral strategy.
Similarly, the Social Democrats (SDE) are eschewing external creative agencies for the core of their strategic planning, leaning heavily on trusted veterans within their ranks who possess specialized professional backgrounds. SDE Secretary General Piret Hartman outlined the party’s approach, noting that their internal roster includes individuals with deep familiarity with political campaigns who also hold professional backgrounds in marketing, communication, and strategic communication.
"We have people who are very experienced, who have been in our team repeatedly and helped with campaigns. People we trust, who themselves have a background in marketing, communication and strategic communication," Hartman said.
While the conceptual and strategic weight of the SDE campaign will be carried internally—with party chair Lauri Läänemets personally heading the effort—Hartman acknowledged that external specialized assistance may still be brought in on a limited, tactical basis. Agencies will likely be needed for the technical production work involved in creating television commercials, ensuring the broadcast materials meet professional technical standards while the messaging remains entirely home-grown.
For Parempoolsed, which is contesting only its second-ever Riigikogu elections and searching for its breakthrough into parliament to secure its first-ever seats, the decision to forego commercial agencies is driven as much by resource allocation as it is by operational philosophy. Campaign manager Priit Isok brings three decades of personal experience in marketing and design to the table, providing the party with a high level of professional expertise without the accompanying corporate price tag.
"We don’t have the kind of resources the Riigikogu parties have, we have to manage with our own forces. We use in-house and we use friends’ help," Isok said, pointing to the stark financial disparities that smaller or newer political movements face when competing against established parliamentary parties.
Contrasting Parempoolsed’s lean operational model with the financial heft of larger rivals, Isok highlighted the systemic funding advantages enjoyed by parties already entrenched in the legislature. "While Isamaa or Reform come with multi-million campaigns of taxpayers’ money spreading out under my nose, then we don’t have those resources, we have to do it differently," he noted, underscoring the necessity for resourcefulness among non-parliamentary challengers.
Parempoolsed is preparing to formalize its comprehensive campaign blueprint during an upcoming board meeting scheduled for early December. The party has already established its core branding framework, anchored by the primary campaign slogan "Jõukas Eesti," which translates to "A well-off Estonia." Among its most prominent policy pledges heading into the election cycle is a commitment to freezing all state spending, a measure that would notably include the suspension of pension indexation.
On the national-conservative front, EKRE leader Martin Helme stated that his party has long since moved past the era of relying on outside commercial firms, having successfully run multiple electoral campaigns entirely through its own internal apparatus.
"We have a pretty decent media team and marketing and strategic communication capability. We make noticeable savings with that. And it’s much faster and more dynamic," Helme said, emphasizing the agility that comes with a streamlined, in-house operational structure. Beyond financial savings and operational speed, Helme pointed to institutional memory and message discipline as primary drivers for keeping campaign management internal. "The third reason is that we know off by heart which messages and which visual language work to get our messages across better."
EKRE last enlisted the services of an external advertising agency back in 2019, choosing since then to cultivate its own creative and strategic competencies. Looking toward the 2027 contest, Helme revealed that the party is actively incorporating technological innovation into its workflow, planning to utilize assistance from artificial intelligence to aid campaign execution.
According to Helme, EKRE’s election machinery is already well underway. The party has finalized its initial television advertisement, established its primary campaign slogan, and locked down its visual design language. "We have the lists ready too, and by the new year we’ll lock in our platform," he added, indicating an exceptionally early timeline for candidate selection and platform finalization.
As political organizations across Estonia refine their strategies, draft their candidate lists, and finalize their policy manifestos, the upcoming months will test whether this widespread turn toward self-reliance can match the reach of traditional agency-driven campaigns. With election day officially set for March 7, 2027, the political landscape is bracing for a fiercely contested parliamentary race shaped directly by the internal creativity and communication strategies of the parties themselves.
