19.01.26 NEWS ... Tartu's proposed €330 million budget again centers on Siuru Cultural Center and Sõpruse Bridge, as critics warn the city has nearly maxed out its borrowing capacity.

18.01.26 NEWS ... Jaap Ora, the former Estonian ambassador to Kazakhstan who left his post amid a diplomatic scandal, said he never intended to end his diplomatic career this way. According to Ora, his goal during the Estonian president's state visit to Kazakhstan was to ensure a trusting and friendly working atmosphere.

16.01.26 NEWS ... Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said that Estonian Defense Forces personnel will go to Greenland to show Denmark is capable of ensuring the Arctic island's security against threats, not to defend it from the U.S.

16.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Iranian community held a demonstration on Friday in support of people taking part in a wave of deadly protests across Iran and to call on the international community to take action.

16.01.26 NEWS ... Starting in January, children and young people will be required to pay a €5 visit fee for emergency care at Tartu University Hospital (Tartu Ülikooli kliinikum) after changes to the city's healthcare reimbursement policy.

16.01.26 NEWS ... Substantial changes to the way presidents are elected will be decided upon by future members of the Riigikogu, MPs have decided.

15.01.26 NEWS ... The Estonian government hopes to save up to €25 million over four years via the proposed public transport reform. Most of the money would come from reorganizing the route network, including the closure of some rural bus lines.

15.01.26 NEWS ... In light of the recent error in the Gambling Tax Act, Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise believes too many confusing draft bills are submitted to the Riigikogu. In her view, the solution is to establish clearer guidelines so laws are understandable to everyone.

15.01.26 NEWS ... At the Tallinn City Council meeting on Thursday, January 15, chairs and deputy chairs were elected for four of the capital's different committees.

14.01.26 NEWS ... Tallinn City Government is discontinuing several projects related to the green turn and is also downsizing its sustainability department. Opposition members and environmental experts believe the move will harm the environment and cost the city millions.

14.01.26 NEWS ... The Riigikogu has decided to introduce a bill to quickly fix a legislative mistake that would have slashed culture and sports funding.

14.01.26 NEWS ... A recent legislative mishap that inadvertently abolished taxation of online casinos is evidence of a systemic error in legislative drafting, Allar Jõks finds.

13.01.26 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said the public is unlikely to support introducing €20-a-month passes for children and pensioners to use rural buses. However, a minimal charge could be brought in to get a better overview of public transport use.

13.01.26 NEWS ... Culture and sports should not miss out on funding because of a drafting error left in last year's gambling tax amendments, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said Tuesday.

13.01.26 NEWS ... The Central Criminal Police has launched a criminal investigation into possible misuse of expense allowances by Lauri Läänemets, SDE chair and MP.

13.01.26 NEWS ... MEP and Center Party deputy chair Jaak Madison said he would leave Brussels if the Center Party joins Estonia's next governing coalition. Madison also spoke about the party's worldview and recent shifts within the European Parliament.

13.01.26 NEWS ... A drafting error left Estonia's online casinos untaxed for 2026, drawing sharp criticism from Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi (Reform) and lead lawmaker Tanel Tein (Eesti 200).

13.01.26 NEWS ... The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently tasked with duties it lacks training for, expert Andreas Kaju said.

13.01.26 NEWS ... The Riigikogu's Anti-Corruption Select Committee has sent documents to investigators involving flagged language editing service expenses filed by MP Lauri Läänemets (SDE).

13.01.26 NEWS ... Deputy Secretary General for Financial and Tax Policy at the Ministry of Finance Evelyn Liivamägi apologized for an error in the Gambling Tax Act that will leave online casinos tax-exempt in 2026.

13.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia will propose that the European Union step up pressure on Cuba and review its current policies, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) on Tuesday.

12.01.26 NEWS ... A typo in the draft Gambling Tax Act, which was approved in December, eliminated the taxation of online casinos for the current year. Riina Sikkut (SDE), a member of the Riigikogu's Finance Committee, said the error will deprive culture and sports of expected revenue.

12.01.26 NEWS ... A clerical error in the gambling tax bill approved last December removed online casinos from taxation this year. MP Annely Akkermann said the law must be reprocessed to fix the mistake.

12.01.26 NEWS ... The two coalition parties are searching for a presidential candidate, with politicians and non-partisan public figures in the picture, but history demonstrates the right choice will be hard to find.

11.01.26 NEWS ... Former Tallinn mayor and longtime political figure Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) doubts that the next president will be successfully elected by the Riigikogu. However, he believes the Social Democrats have every opportunity to win over many voters who have grown disillusioned with the Reform Party and currently favor Isamaa.

10.01.26 NEWS ... The Estonian Employers' Confederation rejected the national conciliator's proposed minimum wage for this year – €956 per month – saying it is too high. Negotiations will continue.

09.01.26 NEWS ... Reform Party MPs have criticized Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Terras' (Eesti 200) plan to introduce fares for children and pensioners on rural buses.

09.01.26 NEWS ... Tallinn is investigating whether it is possible to pause the design process for the city's new hospital until EU funding has been applied for, said Deputy Mayor for Social and Health Affairs Riina Solman (Isamaa).

07.01.26 NEWS ... The Center-Isamaa Tallinn coalition is to put off around €100 million from planned investments in the capital, Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) said Wednesday.

09.01.26 NEWS ... Social Democratic Party chair Lauri Läänemets told ERR in an interview that if the governing coalition were to lose its parliamentary majority, the Social Democrats would immediately support a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform). Nevertheless, he believes it is still possible to find common ground to elect the next president in the Riigikogu.

07.01.26 NEWS ... There is a strong chance that if the math lines up, the next Estonian president will be elected by the Riigikogu, political commentator Tarmo Jüristo said.

07.01.26 NEWS ... At the start of the new year, support for the Reform Party has increased, while backing for the Social Democrats (SDE) and the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) has declined.

06.01.26 NEWS ... Half of Estonia's Russian-speaking basic school graduates are still unable to achieve B1 level Estonian despite having studied the language for nine years. B1 is required for them to continue studying at vocational education centers.

06.01.26 NEWS ... At the first coalition council meeting of the new year, it was decided to begin consultations to find a presidential candidate. The presidential election will take place at the end of summer.

06.01.26 NEWS ... The Office of the Prosecutor General acknowledges that its handling of the case against former police chiefs was mistaken and promises to conduct a thorough analysis.

05.01.26 NEWS ... Leaders from the Nordic-Baltic countries, including Estonia, have issued statements of support for Denmark after repeated comments from the U.S. president and administration about the possibility of annexing Greenland.

05.01.26 NEWS ... The international situation is highly dynamic in the aftermath of the weekend's U.S. swoop to capture Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee chair Marko Mihkelson (Reform) said.

05.01.26 NEWS ... Estonian coalition and opposition politicians say Venezuela must swiftly become a rule-of-law state and that chaos and a possible civil war must be prevented after the U.S. operation to capture ex-president Nicolás Maduro.

04.01.26 NEWS ... Justice and Digital Minister and Eesti 200 board member Liisa Pakosta says the party could merge with several others, driven not by success but by shared necessity.

03.01.26 NEWS ... The United States' attack on Venezuela raises questions about the protection provided by international law that is vital for the survival of small states, including Estonia, said Marko Mihkelson (Reform), chair of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee.

03.01.26 NEWS ... Summertime surfers swapped their boards for skis, skates and kites on Estonia's west coast this week as the temperatures dropped below zero for the first time this winter.

02.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia's border city Narva is still without a city government almost three months after the local elections, following a failed attempt on Friday to appoint the body due to a lack of votes.

02.01.26 NEWS ... Estonian businesses in the agriculture and forestry sectors are calling on the state to support a Finnish initiative calling for the simplification of the European Union's nature restoration regulation.

31.12.25 NEWS ... With support down to around 2 percent, the coalition Eesti 200 party hopes to stay relevant by embracing value-based conflicts and is considering a name change.

30.12.25 NEWS ... Estonia's party finance watchdog says Eesti 200 used Viimsi municipal funds this summer to pay for a TV3 program promoting the party — a banned donation from a legal entity.

29.12.25 NEWS ... The past 12 months has brought new industry and political challenges to Narva, writes ERR journalist Sergei Stepanov in this look-back at the key events from 2025 in the Estonian border town.

29.12.25 NEWS ... Public criticism of the government, driven by tax confusion during the coalition with the Social Democrats, was behind the Reform Party's weaker local election results, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on Vikerraadio. While some tax decisions were later reversed, the positive message never reached the public, he added.

29.12.25 NEWS ... According to the latest survey by the Institute for Societal Studies, Urmas Reinsalu and Mihhail Kõlvart are tied as the most popular prime ministerial candidates.

28.12.25 NEWS ... Estonian politicians do not expect the war in Ukraine to end until Russia seriously comes to the negotiating table, despite U.S. President Donald Trump saying the latest round of discussions is making progress.

26.12.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of Culture plans to launch a campaign aimed at reinforcing positive attitudes toward integration in 2026, which will cost around €275,000.