The members of parliament of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) have set up a group in the Riigikogu on Monday for the support of US President Donald Trump. According to initiator Peeter Ernits, the group's aim is to back up Estonia's transatlantic relationship with the United States.

Ernits told the Baltic News Service on Monday that in today's geopolitical situation, good transatlantic relations with the US are playing an ever greater role.

"President Trump has explicitly expressed his unwavering support for the independence of Estonia as well as his commitment to fulfilling the duties of a NATO ally. Despite that, we can unfortunately see him ridiculed week after week also in Estonia," Ernits said.

"Although Estonia is a small country compared to the US, we share many of the problems and objectives highlighted by President Trump. In a speech earlier this year, the American head of state warned against the actions of the World Bank and the IMF, who are implementing the ideology of globalism. They have been acting for decades in the interest of capital to be able to move across borders unhindered, restricting the possibilities of governments to control the activities of multinational corporations. According to Trump, the strengthening of nation states is the only way to alleviate the woes arising from globalism," he added.

There is no need for Estonia to go along with every idea floated in the international community, Ernits argued. Instead, the country should act based on its own national interest. "Our good relations and friendship with our allies are one of the guarantees."

Ernits was elected to the Riigikogu as a member of the Centre Party, but quit it in order to join EKRE. While he could switch parties, the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure Act sets out that no MP may join a new parliamentary group, which means that Ernits, though an MP of EKRE, is not a member of the party's parliamentary group.

The rule dates back to the 1990s, when Estonia's parliamentary politics tended to be chaotic, and frequent realignments in the Riigikogu made it necessary to enforce a modicum of discipline to keep the national parliament in working order.