15.05.26 NEWS ... Varro Vooglaid's recent exit from the EKRE group means that the Riigikogu now has more unaffiliated or independent MPs than at any time before in the 21st century.

15.05.26 NEWS ... EKRE MP Rene Kokk refuted claims according to which whether he will run for the party again in 2027 is somehow connected to the fate of Varro Vooglaid.

15.05.26 NEWS ... The three-day Lennart Meri Defense and Security Conference will take place in Tallinn from Friday, drawing top politicians and experts to the event. You can watch the discussions live on ERR News.

15.05.26 NEWS ... Current Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has been in office as a government minister for a total of 4,227 days, while Marko Mihkelson just became the longest-serving Riigikogu member over 23 years and six compositions of the parliament.

15.05.26 NEWS ... President Alar Karis made 28 foreign visits last year at a cost of €600,000. This year, one-third of the €450,000 allocated for the entire year has already been spent on 10 foreign visits.

14.05.26 NEWS ... Varro Vooglaid announced that due to a loss of confidence in him, he is leaving the Estonian Conservative People's Party's Riigikogu group, though not parliament itself.

14.05.26 NEWS ... In light of the looming presidential election, ERR examined the approval ratings of Estonia's presidents, comparing how they changed over time and which demographic groups showed higher or lower levels of support.

14.05.26 NEWS ... European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is not a suitable choice as the bloc's negotiator with Russia, former European Commissioner Kadri Simson said.

14.05.26 NEWS ... If the choice were only between two presidential candidates, 70 percent of respondents to a recent poll said they would support Alar Karis, while 15 percent would back Kersti Kaljulaid.

13.05.26 NEWS ... Minister of Energy and the Environment Andres Sutt (Reform) has completed a new version of the Climate Resilient Economy Act and plans to seek principled approval for it at the government's cabinet meeting on Thursday. The coalition plans to pass the law before next year's elections.

13.05.26 NEWS ... A bill that would define sexual intercourse without consent as rape has been sent to its second reading by the Riigikogu Legal Affairs Committee after additional amendments were added to define consent.

13.05.26 NEWS ... There were no significant changes in party popularity ratings over the past week. Isamaa leads, with a 3.4 percentage point advantage over the second-place Center Party.

12.05.26 NEWS ... Several new Estonian ambassadors to European nations have been appointed, including to Ukraine.

11.05.26 NEWS ... The chances of Estonia's next president being elected in the Riigikogu are slim, as the level of trust between political parties is extremely low, finds Social Democratic Party deputy chair Jevgeni Ossinovski.

11.05.26 NEWS ... The government approved its €29.3 million supplementary budget on Monday to fund "priority areas" and sent it to the Riigikogu for members' approval.

11.05.26 NEWS ... Ministers will attempt to approve this year's supplementary budget on Monday, and Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi (Reform) rejects the opposition's claims that cuts could have been made instead.

10.05.26 NEWS ... In Narva, May 9 was celebrated as Europe Day with a large public concert on Town Hall Square.

08.05.26 NEWS ... Remarks by Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) over the ousting of Kersti Kaljulaid as Estonian Olympic Committee (EOK) leader were nothing short of insulting, opposition Center Party chair Mihhail Kõlvart said.

08.05.26 NEWS ... Members of the Reform Party's parliamentary faction are skeptical that Kersti Kaljulaid could be elected president of Estonia again after Alar Karis, as proposed on Thursday by party leader and Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

07.05.26 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said former President Kersti Kaljulaid could run for a second term this fall, though no one has discussed the idea with her directly.

07.05.26 NEWS ... The opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE) has received no signals on backing Kersti Kaljulaid for a potential presidential bid, party leader Lauri Läänemets said Thursday.

07.05.26 NEWS ... Those who voted in favor of a no-confidence motion in Kersti Kaljulaid as Estonian Olympic Committee (EOK) president are "mentally somewhat bitter old men," Prime Minister Kristen Michal said Wednesday.

07.05.26 NEWS ... EKRE vice chairman Mart Helme says that Estonia's next president will be chosen by a so‑called cartel consisting of all parties except EKRE.

07.05.26 NEWS ... Riigikogu members approved legislation that bans citizens of "hostile" third countries from making donations to Estonian political parties.

06.05.26 NEWS ... An interior minister who tried to classify publicly available materials would have been forced to resign in a developed democracy, MP Raimond Kaljulaid tells ERR in an interview.

06.05.26 NEWS ... Support for the opposition Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) has been rising for over a month, according to a recent poll.

06.05.26 NEWS ... President Alar Karis said in an interview with Vikerraadio that engaging with Russia could only be considered after the latter undergoes change and that there are many politicians in Estonia who rush to condemn his views without taking the time to examine their substance.

05.05.26 NEWS ... Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) on Monday banned the Riigikogu's Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee from publishing data he presented regarding covert surveillance permits in Estonia.

05.05.26 NEWS ... A court has delivered a scathing assessment of the Prosecutor's Office in a corruption case dating to 2021.

05.05.26 NEWS ... The Riigikogu on Monday passed a bill which will make bringing skilled foreign labor into Estonia easier.

04.05.26 NEWS ... Estonia's car tax burden is modest in the European context and remains below the level of car taxation in most Western and Northern European countries, according to an analysis by the Ministry of Finance.

04.05.26 NEWS ... Universities have said they are ready to admit more students if the state provides additional funding. Over the next four years, approximately 15,000 new students will take up places at higher education facilities.

02.05.26 NEWS ... The opposition Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) nominated founding member Mart Helme as its presidential candidate for this autumn's elections.

01.05.26 NEWS ... Ukraine's full integration into the EU and NATO must go ahead, the Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8) foreign ministers said Thursday.

30.04.26 NEWS ... Last week, the political party Koos approached the National Electoral Committee with concerns that it has been unable to open a bank account. The same concern has now been raised with the Political Party Funding Supervision Committee (ERJK). Responses from banks indicate that they are refusing to open an account, citing the prevention of terrorism and money laundering risks.

30.04.26 NEWS ... Riigikogu member Jaak Valge, who raised the flag of the Estonian SSR on the wall of the Writers' House in Tallinn's Old Town, won his case against the police in Harju District Court, seeking to have a misdemeanor decision overturned. The state must also reimburse Valge's legal fees in the amount of €2,220.

30.04.26 NEWS ... The Reform-Eesti 200 coalition has opted to issue a supplementary budget for this year, mainly to help fund the ongoing eastern border construction work.

30.04.26 NEWS ... Discussing criticism of President Alar Karis, Ekspress Grupp owner Hans H. Luik notes Europe cannot leave the monopoly of negotiating with Vladimir Putin to Donald Trump.

30.04.26 NEWS ... Estonia will host a meeting of the Nordic-Baltic (NB8) foreign ministers and the European Union's High Representative, Kaja Kallas, on the island of Saaremaa to discuss the geopolitical situation this week.

29.04.26 NEWS ... Delfi journalist Vilja Kiisler and ERR Radio News Editor-in-Chief Indrek Kiisler engaged in a heated debate on Wednesday over concerns about President Alar Karis' foreign‑policy remarks — particularly his comments on postwar relations with Russia.

29.04.26 NEWS ... Politicians from both coalition and opposition parties have hit out at President Alar Karis' remarks on Russia and an end to the war in Ukraine.

29.04.26 NEWS ... A fall in support for the opposition Isamaa party has halted, according to a recent poll.

28.04.26 NEWS ... Expectations for a presidential candidate strong on foreign policy demonstrate the current government lacks authority in that arena, MEP Sven Mikser (SDE) said.

28.04.26 NEWS ... Estonian and Finnish Presidents Alar Karis and Alexander Stubb said a time will inevitably come when communication with Russia must be resumed after the war in Ukraine ends.

28.04.26 NEWS ... President Alar Karis and First Lady Sirje Karis are on a two-day official visit to Finland.

28.04.26 NEWS ... President Alar Karis' recent call for dialogue with Russia may prevent him from winning a second presidential term, Social Democratic Party (SDE) chair Lauri Läänemets said.

27.04.26 NEWS ... Chief State Prosecutor Taavi Pern said that communications data must be retained longer than a few months to ensure national security, not just for criminal proceedings.

27.04.26 NEWS ... Long-delayed plans to expand Alutaguse National Park in Ida-Viru County are still in motion, and the state plans to make a decision, and if necessary, it will do so without the municipality's input.

27.04.26 NEWS ... The KOOS party has told the election committee it has been unable to open a bank account in credit institutions operating in Estonia, which means it cannot pay the deposit for candidates standing in elections.

27.04.26 NEWS ... A new draft of the Personal Names Act has laid out the restrictions the law will enforce when an individual wants to change their name. It will still allow criminals to change their names when they marry or divorce.