"The government pushed through a law that will devastate the Estonian pension system knowingly violating the Constitution," SDE chairman Indrek Saar said according to party spokespeople. "Unfortunately, deputies from the ruling parties ignored relevant warnings both by numerous experts as well as constitutional institutions. In a country of the rule of law, laws that contradict the Constitution cannot enter into force. Therefore we turned to the head of state as one of the guardians of the Constitution.

The SDE noted that the law entails very significant economic, social and legal impacts and risks, and according to the party, the law's entry into force may unacceptably infringe on fundamental social rights, the right of equality, of legitimate expectations, and of ownership.

The party finds that the law directly undermines the capacity of the Estonian state to pay a dignified pension to its citizens in the future.

The SDE also believes that the law contains a contradiction with the Social Tax Act and violates the principle of equal treatment and the legitimate expectations of the people who have accumulated savings into the second pension pillar.

The president has 14 days to decide whether to promulgate the law or send it back to the Riigikogu.

The Riigikogu passed the controversial pension reform bill 56-45 late Wednesday night.

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