Protests organized by two of the three opposition parties, namely the Center Party and Isamaa, were visible during the day, on the plaza in front of Toompea castle, seat of the Riigikogu, "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reported.

While the bill is as noted slightly more favorable to car owners compared to with its original version, opposition parties still fundamentally oppose the new tax.

The Center Party says it disproportionately burdens poorer individuals.

Center's deputy chair Lauri Laats, taking part in the picket, told AK: "Prices here have risen by 40 percent."

"The government keeps making its decisions, but the Riigikogu is essentially approving various tax increases, be it on VAT, income tax hikes, various fines," he continued.

"These measures are simply starting to over-burden our people and businesses, especially considering the number of people living in absolute and relative poverty," Laats went on.

Urmas Reinsalu, Isamaa's chair and a leading candidate for the party at this week's European elections, said the tax: "Diminishes people's livelihoods, their freedom of movement, and property rights; it increases price hikes, and harms our economic competitiveness."

"This is the fundamentally wrong thing to do right now, and is also unconstitutional since they want to impose a tax on people's property retroactively. More than that, the governing coalition is railroading it through illegally by bundling all opposition amendment proposals into one," Reinsalu went on.

The opposition parties have for instance suggested halting the process to remove the so-called "tax hump," bracket creep in other words, or imposing a banking or digital tax, instead of the car tax.

The coalition plans to go ahead unperturbed, however.

Riigikogu Finance Committee Chair Annely Akkermann (Reform) said the final draft contains the final draft version of the bill, while it contained proposals from the committee – which originated with the finance ministry – some ideas from the opposition had made it through too.

"So in that sense, one could say that the opposition's suggestions have been somewhat accommodated," she said.

"They are pressing one with their obstruction, but if you look at their amendment proposals on curbing registration fees and the annual car tax, they have been taken into account, to some extent," Akkermann, a former finance minister, went on.

On Wednesday, the Riigikogu held the second reading of the government-initiated motor vehicle tax bill, popularly referred to as the car tax.

Substantive amendments may be made between the first and second readings, but between the second and third (and final) reading, the only changes permitted are cosmetic.

The car tax had been one target of an opposition filibuster which has been ongoing much of the time the Riigikogu has been sitting since the current Reform-SDE-Eesti 200 coalition entered office in late April 2023.

Organized protests outside the Riigikogu are the other main way in which the opposition can make its voice heard.

The bill's third reading is set for next week, ahead of the Riigikogu going on summer recess, starting June 14.

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