Skip to main menu 14.02.25 NEWS ... Estonia's Riigikogu is being increasingly sidelined, daily Postimees noted in an editorial with key decisions made behind closed doors, raising concerns about democratic oversight and the diminishing role of legislative and judicial branches.
13.02.25 NEWS ... Opposition politicians find the coalition's energy policy decisions ideological and unable to bring down the cost of electricity.
13.02.25 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said U.S. President Donald Trump cannot establish peace in Ukraine by sidelining Europe and Kyiv. If a deployment of NATO peacekeeping forces to Ukraine becomes reality, Estonia would certainly participate, he added.
13.02.25 NEWS ... The plan by U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to begin negotiations with Russia – and announce preconditions – is not only harmful to Ukraine but to all of Europe, said the Chairman of the Riigikogu's Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson (Reform).
13.02.25 NEWS ... President Alar Karis is visiting Israel and Palestine this week, aiming to foster political ties, address regional security and to promote peace through high-level talks on the Middle East crisis and global cooperation.
13.02.25 NEWS ... A no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) initiated by opposition parties failed to pass a Riigikogu vote Wednesday, with 28 votes in favor.
12.02.25 NEWS ... As the opposition Center Party grapples with a €1 million fine, its leader Mihhail Kõlvart, has called for past leadership accountability at a time when party members have been appealed to for donations.
10.02.25 NEWS ... The Social Democratic Party wants to limit political donations to €100,000 and plans to change the law before the next election. The party's Chairman Lauri Läänemets said political decisions should not be made by a small group of people.
12.02.25 NEWS ... According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200), Estonia must demonstrate to key ally the United States that it has something to offer.
12.02.25 NEWS ... Estonian retailers are calling for a VAT exemption on basic food products, but coalition parties do not see eye-to-eye on the issue.
12.02.25 NEWS ... Opposition party Isamaa now has a fractionally higher rating than the three coalition parties combined, according to a recent survey.
11.02.25 NEWS ... Riigikogu opposition parties on Tuesday will submit a motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) calling his style of governance an abuse of trust. The issue was not discussed on Tuesday.
11.02.25 NEWS ... Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta (E200) is visiting Saudi Arabia from February 8–12 to participate in a technology conference and meet with members of the government.
11.02.25 NEWS ... The governing coalition is still discussing an amendment to remove voting rights from stateless people living in Estonia. Opposition party Isamaa may back the bill, negating the need for coalition partner SDE's support.
10.02.25 NEWS ... Coalition parties agreed on Monday to move forward with a plan to limit state funding for political parties convicted of criminal offenses, said Hendrik Terras (Eesti 200), chairman of the Riigikogu's Constitutional Committee.
10.02.25 NEWS ... Most political parties in Tallinn City Council have not ruled out future cooperation with the Center Party after it lost an appeal in the Porto Franco case last week. Local elections will take place this autumn.
10.02.25 NEWS ... President Alar Karis has called on EU member states to halt energy imports from Russia and to consider imposing a full trade embargo on the aggressor state.
10.02.25 NEWS ... The opposition Center Party will not go bankrupt, party leader Mihhail Kõlvart said.
07.02.25 NEWS ... Despite Friday's Supreme Court ruling that found the Center Party guilty of trading in influence, the party will continue its activities and go into the local elections with the aim of winning, party chair Mihhail Kõlvart said.
07.02.25 NEWS ... On Thursday, the Estonian government did not approve amendments to the Electricity Market Act, which would establish the conditions for tenders on wind farms.
07.02.25 NEWS ... Estonia's development cooperation center and several local NGOs have put some of their work on hold after U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to halt foreign aid agency USAID's activities for 90 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes the confusion can be resolved.
06.02.25 NEWS ... Tõnis Saar, the long-serving secretary general of the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, is set to step down from his role.
06.02.25 NEWS ... Estonia and Taiwan will cooperate to donate over 1 million medical masks to Ukraine to help Ukrainian health care institutions and units of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
05.02.25 NEWS ... Estonia's political parties are preparing for local elections in October. Tallinn's coalition believes local issues should be in focus, but the opposition sees the vote as a referendum on the government.
05.02.25 NEWS ... Opposition party Isamaa's support continues to grow and has risen by more than 4 percent since mid-December, data from pollster Norstat and Ühiskonnauuringute Instituut shows.
03.02.25 NEWS ... The Abbess of Kuremäe Convent Filareta Kalatšova sent an open letter to members of the Riigikogu, claiming that if the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, initiated by the Ministry of the Interior, are approved, the convent will effectively be shut down.
02.02.25 NEWS ... At Monday's informal EU General Affairs Council meeting, European defense readiness will be discussed. Opposition MP Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) said Estonia should use the opportunity to discuss modifying the emissions trading system (ETS) so it can be used for controllable capacities, such as oil shale power plants, for energy security.
02.02.25 NEWS ... The Conservative People's Party of Estonia's (EKRE) board has issued a directive for its members to oppose the construction of wind farms in local municipalities. The action is connected to the upcoming local elections.
02.02.25 NEWS ... Approximately 200 people gathered in Narva on Saturday to protest against rising heating prices. Protestors said utility costs have become excessively high and they are seeking assistance from the city authorities and the government.
31.01.25 NEWS ... The leaders of Estonia's three main opposition parties, Mihhail Kõlvart (Center), Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) and Martin Helme (EKRE) consider it important to work together on the vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) and draft the corresponding text together. The motion is likely to reach the chamber of the Riigikogu in two weeks.
31.01.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of the Interior hopes the almost year-long saga with the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK) will be resolved by summer after it submitted new legislation to the Riigikogu this month. It wants the church to leave the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.
31.01.25 NEWS ... Opposition party Isamaa wants to bring a motion of no-confidence against the government over its energy policy, said Chairman Urmas Reinsalu on Thursday. He called a new agreement burdensome for Estonian people and businesses.
30.01.25 NEWS ... According to a poll conducted by Turu-uuringute AS in January, Isamaa continue to be the most popular political party in Estonia. Support for non-parliamentary party Parempoolsed continues to grow and is now at 8 percent.
30.01.25 NEWS ... Estonia has created too many regulations while adopting European Union law and has often drafted legislative proposals without considering how they affect businesses and individuals, said Keit Kasemets, set to be Estonia's new State Secretary in February.
30.01.25 NEWS ... Many politicians, as well as the main watchdog body tasked with overseeing political parties in Estonia and their finances, believe that electoral alliances should become more transparent and that their oversight should be improved.
30.01.25 NEWS ... Controversy has broken in the southwestern city of Pärnu after revelations that a city official has received the maximum redundancy payoff the law allows, despite being under investigation for suspected misdemeanors.
29.01.25 NEWS ... Former Tallinn mayor and Center Party chairman Mihhail Kõlvart said on Vikerraadio's "Uudis +" program that it is difficult for him to comment on conversations between Tõnis Liinat, Andrei Novikov and other Center Party members who worked in Tallinn's city administration at the time. However, he emphasized that if a city official tries to use citizens' property for personal gain, they must be held accountable.
29.01.25 NEWS ... Support for the opposition party Isamaa continues to rise, widening its lead over the Reform Party, which is in second place, while coalition support has dropped to its lowest level since 2019, according to a recent survey.
29.01.25 NEWS ... The Estonian government is developing a new central document management system at a cost of €2.3 million, a move that has drawn criticism from the creators of existing systems.
29.01.25 NEWS ... The European Parliament almost always revokes immunity when authorities request it, one of Estonia's seven MEPs, Yana Toom (Center), said.
28.01.25 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) held his first phone call with new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday.
28.01.25 NEWS ... Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi (Reform) stated that he was deeply disturbed by the mechanism through which the leaders of the three coalition parties reached an agreement on the establishment of offshore and onshore wind farms, bypassing the government. Ligi also noted that sources spreading misinformation about onshore wind farms form a hostile and interconnected network aimed at creating global uncertainty.
28.01.25 NEWS ... Liquefied natural gas can be purchased from U.S. and Norway instead of Russia, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) on Tuesday, commenting on Germany's increased imports of LNG in 2024. He also pointed out Estonia has stopped using Russian gas since 2022.
28.01.25 NEWS ... Police in Belgium have requested the European Parliament lift the parliamentary immunity of MEP Jaak Madison (Center).
28.01.25 NEWS ... Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu has criticized Estonia's long-range energy plan as unveiled on Monday, calling it unrealistic and lacking impact assessments.
27.01.25 NEWS ... While acknowledging the need for a clearer China policy, Minister of the Interior and Social Democratic Party (SDE) chair Lauri Läänemets admits he is puzzled by recent Chinese New Year celebrations organized in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy by Kohtla-Järve Mayor and fellow party member Henri Kaselo.
27.01.25 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) criticized the Chinese New Year celebrations held this weekend and said it was disheartening to see events funded by China. He said "soft power" aims to create division.
27.01.25 NEWS ... The leaders of Estonia's three coalition parties have agreed to organize reverse auctions for 2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of production each for offshore and onshore wind farms. The government is also planning a support measure for an energy storage facility in Paldiski.
27.01.25 NEWS ... Political parties are investing more in social media for their campaigns than in previous years ahead of the local elections in October. Most also intend to spend more than in previous years.
27.01.25 NEWS ... A Chinese New Year celebration held in the eastern Estonian town of Kohtla-Järve represented a cultural initiative aimed at easing tensions in relations, the city's mayor said Monday. The event was held in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in Estonia.