| Country: | Estonia |
| Libertas Estonia | |
| Native Name: | Libertas Eesti Erakond |
| Leader: | Jaan Laas |
| Foundation: | 29 November 1994 |
| Ideology: | Anti-Lisbon Treaty Euroscepticism |
| Headquarters: | Telliskivi 22-1, Tallinn, 10611 |
| Colours: | Blue, Gold |
| European: | Libertas |
Libertas Estonia (et|Libertas Eesti Erakond, LEE) was a political party in Estonia. It intended to contend the 2009 European Parliament elections under a common banner with Libertas.eu.
The Estonian Blue Party (Eesti Sinine Erakond, ESE) was founded on 29 November 1994 in Tallinn, Estonia.[1] It was registered at the Harju registry on 28 October 1998, registration number 80053499.[2] It attempted to join the Development Party (Arengupartei) in October 2000 but the attempt failed.[1]
On 1 February 2001, ESE became Democrats – Estonian Democratic Party (Demokraadid – Eesti Demokraatlik Partei, EDP).[1] On 21 July 2005, it announced it would cooperate with the Pro Patria Union in local elections.[1] At the beginning of 2006, there were plans to merge EDP with Eesti Iseseisvuspartei (EIP) and Põllumeeste Kogu (Farmers' Council, PK), but this did not happen.[1] On 18 March 2006, the party congress voted to join the Pro Patria Union, but this did not happen.[1] On 11 February 2008, the Harju county court registry warned that the numbers of EDP members had fallen to 920,[3] [1] 80 less than the required 1,000 threshold, and the registry gave EDP until 15 April 2008 to recover.[1] At the beginning of 2008, there were new plans to merge EDP with EIP and PK, but again this did not happen.[1]
On 2 February 2009, it restructured itself as Libertas Eesti Erakond (Libertas Estonia, LEE) and became registered on 2 March 2009, enabling it to be officially known under that name.[1]
On 2 April 2009, party chairman Jaan Laas announced that, after candidate approval by the party's Executive Board, elections would be held on 23 April 2009[3] for candidates wishing to stand for Libertas Estonia in the 2009 Estonian Euroelections in June.[3]
Libertas Estonia was acknowledged by Libertas.eu as one of the (then) 11 member parties of Libertas.eu by a post on the latter's website.[4]
| Date | Election | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | local elections (Tartu only) | 40 votes (8.5%) and 0 of 9 of the municipal council | |
| 2003 | Riigikogu elections | did not take part | |
| 2004 | European Parliament elections | 2,849 votes (1.2%) | |
| 2009 | European Parliament elections | 0.59% of the vote, no elected candidates.[5] |