15.05.25 NEWS ... Employers will have more flexibility to hire foreign specialists after the government agreed to create new exemptions for wages and skills.

14.05.25 NEWS ... The Center Party has decided to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights the Supreme Court ruling that found the party guilty in a criminal case.

14.05.25 NEWS ... Peeter Ernits, an unaffiliated MP who has previously belonged to both the Center Party and EKRE - Conservative People's Party of Estonia, is rejoining the Center Party.

14.05.25 NEWS ... The Social Democratic Party, which saw an increase in support last week, gained even more this week. At the same time, the support percentages for the top three parties in the ratings table did not change significantly over the past week.

13.05.25 NEWS ... Support for the opposition Isamaa climbed to 22 percent in May, widening its lead over the Reform Party and EKRE, according to the latest poll by Turu-uuringute AS.

13.05.25 NEWS ... Isamaa party chair Urmas Reinsalu told ERR in a brief interview that he will run in this fall's local elections in Tallinn, but did not confirm whether he will also be the party's candidate for mayor of the capital.

12.05.25 NEWS ... The eight Baltic and Nordic countries have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a Europe and U.S.-backed immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.

12.05.25 NEWS ... Plans to restore peatlands and other wetlands need to be reviewed and communicated with locals before deciding how to proceed, according to Minister of Energy and the Environment Andres Sutt (Reform).

12.05.25 NEWS ... Draft legislation to withdraw Estonia from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention will soon be discussed by MPs in the Riigikogu, after it was greenlit by the National Defense Committee on Monday.

10.05.25 NEWS ... In a governance plan sent to the Reform Party and Eesti 200 as inspiration while they draw up a new coalition deal, the nonparliamentary Parempoolsed has proposed expanding mandatory military service — or conscription — to all citizens, including women. The party is also calling for several taxes to be lowered or repealed altogether.

09.05.25 NEWS ... For May 9, the Narva Museum placed a large poster featuring a composite portrait of Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler on the wall of Hermann Castle facing Russia. The image is visible from across the Narva River on the Russian side.

09.05.25 NEWS ... The captain of the Hong Kong-flagged container ship accused of breaking the undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia has been remanded in custody in Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reports.

08.05.25 NEWS ... The government has approved the first set of proposals from the Council on Efficiency and Economic Growth, which primarily concern reducing workplace requirements, eliminating the alcohol registry and simplifying the refinancing of home loans.

08.05.25 NEWS ... The measure to hike VAT to 24 percent under the temporary defense tax was made permanent by the government on Thursday. The rate will rise in July.

07.05.25 NEWS ... Foreign leaders' requests to use Estonian airspace to attend Russia's May 9 celebrations are "out of the question," Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said on Wednesday, following media reports the Baltic states had denied requests from visiting dignitaries.

08.05.25 NEWS ... The world is in a cyberwar in every sense except a legal one because no side has declared war, said Mart Noorma, director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE) in Tallinn. Russian hackers' goal is to sow chaos and steal money, he said.

07.05.25 NEWS ... For the third year in a row, Russia's border city Ivangorod will host a Victory Day concert on the banks of the River Narva to project its May 9 propaganda towards Estonia.

07.05.25 NEWS ... According to May data on local government support from the research firm Norstat, the Center Party would win the elections scheduled for October 19 in Tallinn, while the Reform Party would prevail in Tartu. In Pärnu, Isamaa would dominate, and in Narva, the Center Party.

07.05.25 NEWS ... The organization of public gatherings supporting aggression has been banned by the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) this week in three countries, over the period Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9.

07.05.25 NEWS ... Opposition parties Isamaa and the Social Democrats (SDE) both saw a rise in support over the past week, according to Norstat's latest weekly poll. In Isamaa's case, this reverses a weeks-long fall.

06.05.25 NEWS ... The Riigikogu's Constitutional Committee has decided to propose that the Churches and Congregations Act, which was not proclaimed by President Karis, should not be re-adopted by the Riigikogu without further amendments.

06.05.25 NEWS ... Estonian politicians welcomed the European Union's plans to ban Russian gas in the coming years, saying Russia has no place in the bloc's energy markets.

06.05.25 NEWS ... Belgian police have withdrawn their request to lift the parliamentary immunity of Estonian MEP Jaak Madison, ending proceedings against him, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said on Monday.

05.05.25 NEWS ... The European Commission has launched an internal probe into Estonian official Henrik Hololei, five months after the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) opened an ongoing criminal investigation into corruption allegations, POLITICO reported.

05.05.25 NEWS ... While the number of voters in northeastern Estonia will fall by several thousand at this autumn's local elections, the region's larger towns will maintain practically the same number of polling stations.

05.05.25 NEWS ... The first round of the government coalition negotiations has concluded and the parties will now begin filtering the ideas proposed in the working groups. No date has yet been set for when the agreement must be finalized.

03.05.25 NEWS ... In an interview with ERR, former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves explained that it was Volt Europa's comprehensive vision for Europe's future that drew him to the pan-European political movement, and highlighted positive signs that Europe is starting to take security policy more seriously.

02.05.25 NEWS ... Nothing has changed regarding the decision to use over 200 automated license plate detection cameras on Estonia's roads, though questions have been raised about the system's legality.

02.05.25 NEWS ... Former president of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves has joined pan-European political movement Volt Europa, citing a desire to contribute to fundamental reforms to help protect European values in today's uncertain world.

02.05.25 NEWS ... The four coalition parties in Tallinn say they would prefer the current arrangement to continue after this fall's local elections, though most have not ruled out working with the Center Party, long dominant in Tallinn.

30.04.25 NEWS ... A 2.5-tonne concrete Soviet emblem has been removed from the roof of the Russian Cultural Center in Tallinn, the latest prominent symbol of the USSR's occupation of Estonia to be removed from public space.

30.04.25 NEWS ... Former government minister and current MP Kalle Laanet (Reform) has expressed hope for legal clarity after a request to remove his parliamentary immunity was filed yesterday.

30.04.25 NEWS ... The opposition Center Party has narrowly overtaken the coalition Reform Party in a recent poll.

29.04.25 NEWS ... The Prosecutor General is seeking to strip former minister and Riigikogu member Kalle Laanet's (Reform) immunity to move forward with a criminal fraud case.

27.04.25 NEWS ... Following meetings between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine this week, analysts said it is necessary to wait and see what the outcome, if any, will be. It is difficult to predict how the war may develop.

27.04.25 NEWS ... Junior coalition party Eesti 200 wants to see long-term reforms included in the new agreement, even though the next national election is only two years away.

25.04.25 NEWS ... On the ETV politics talk show "Esimene stuudio," entrepreneur Heiti Hääl said that politicians are unwilling to engage with businesspeople who want to contribute to the development of society, as the fear of becoming embroiled in a corruption scandal is too great.

25.04.25 NEWS ... Officials from the Central Criminal Police on Thursday filed a suspicion of violation of procedural restrictions and benefit fraud against the director of a sports center administered by the City of Tallinn.

24.04.25 NEWS ... President Alar Karis on Thursday refused to promulgate an act amending the Churches and Congregations Act adopted by the Riigikogu, saying it was unconstitutional.

24.04.25 NEWS ... The Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) on Thursday decided to continue proceedings against Isamaa party chair Urmas Reinsalu over a podcast he hosted on the Postimees website.

24.04.25 NEWS ... A law barring the sale of heated tobacco products with flavors and aromas passed a Riigikogu vote on Wednesday, with 68 in favor, seven opposed and one abstention.

24.04.25 NEWS ... Narva Mayor Katri Raik said it may take time for residents to get used to the presence of the Estonian Defense Forces and its new base in the city, and those who welcome the move are clearly in the minority.

23.04.25 NEWS ... Two drafts proposing to reduce the VAT rate on foodstuffs have been dropped from the legislative proceedings of the Riigikogu.

23.04.25 NEWS ... The 106th anniversary of the first representative body elected by the Estonian people will be marked with a public open day at the Riigikogu on Saturday (April 26).

23.04.25 NEWS ... The Reform Party wants to amend the law to allow Estonian citizens to run in local government council elections even if their permanent residence is not located in the respective municipality.

23.04.25 NEWS ... Although the political party Isamaa remains the most popular, its support dropped by 1.5 percentage points over the past week and has declined by a total of 5.1 percentage points over the past four weeks, according to a survey conducted by the Institute for Societal Studies and the polling firm Norstat.

21.04.25 NEWS ... Coalition negotiations between Reform and Eesti 200 are halfway through, said Aleksei Jašin, Eesti 200 vice-chairman. However, plans for the Tallinn ring railway are causing disagreements.

21.04.25 NEWS ... Tallinn's four-party coalition marked a year in office last week, which brought the Center Party's more than two-decade rule to an end. But what changes have taken place in the capital over the last year?

20.04.25 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) told the Financial Times newspaper that EU taxpayers will be left to pay for support for Ukraine if Hungary's Viktor Orban forces the bloc to lift restrictions on frozen Russian assets.

20.04.25 NEWS ... A shortage of plant protection products puts berry growers in an unequal position compared to several neighboring countries, Estonian producers say. The issue is growing in importance due to climate change.