17.01.25 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200), along with the foreign ministers of Latvia and Lithuania, issued a statement expressing grave concern about a recent decision by the United States to restrict exports of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips to the Baltic states and other countries.

17.01.25 NEWS ... Former prime minister Andrus Ansip has handed over communications, documentation and other records from his political career to the National Archives of Estonia (Rahvusarhiiv), saying he has no more use for them himself but that they could help shed light on the decisions of the day where needed.

16.01.25 NEWS ... Reform Party leader and Prime Minister Kristen Michal has issued an apology after Wednesday's Riigikogu Question Time where he responded to a query from Center Party MP Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart regarding changes to the state secretary's job requirements. The apology followed an off-microphone remark he made, stating, "It's hard to be stupid."

16.01.25 NEWS ... According to Lauri Läänemets, leader of the Social Democratic Party, former Minister of Finance Mart Võrklaev's (Reform) claim that the car tax was the Social Democrats' idea is not true. Läänemets stated that the Social Democrats deliberately excluded a car tax from their most recent election platform, as it was proposed due to the Reform Party's desire to eliminate the income tax curve.

15.01.25 NEWS ... Outgoing State Secretary Taimar Peterkop tells ERR in an interview that the government should move away from the crisis-driven governance model that has become the norm, where decisions are made hastily and with limited information. According to him, the recent sabotage of the EstLink 2 electricity cable highlighted a significant issue — crisis preparedness is marked by competition between institutions and fragmented responses from agencies acting independently.

15.01.25 NEWS ... Top official Keit Kasemets, in the process of transitioning away from the role of Climate Ministry Secretary General—the non-political counterpart to the climate minister—and towards State Secretary, the head of the government office, has said he is prepared to work with all prime ministers.

15.01.25 NEWS ... Clear requirements for protecting Estonia's electricity supply have only been established around one piece of important infrastructure, National Audit Office (NAO) found in a recent report.

15.01.25 NEWS ... Estonian citizens and residents continue to find Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur the most trustworthy of the current crop of government ministers, followed by Prime Minister Kristen Michal, a recent survey found.

15.01.25 NEWS ... While there have been no big changes at the top of the ratings of Estonia's major political parties in the first couple of weeks of 2025, support for the coalition Eesti 200 party has dropped once again to an all-time low, from the previous low point last week, according to a recent poll.

14.01.25 NEWS ... The three coalition parties have jointly decided that local election voting rights can remain in place for stateless individuals.

13.01.25 NEWS ... The opposition party Isamaa raised more financial donations than any other Estonian political party last year, with half coming from its major backer, party member and businessman Parvel Pruunsild, according to 2024 figures from the Political Party Funding Supervision Committee (ERJK).

13.01.25 NEWS ... Support for the second administration of President Donald Trump, due to take office January 20, differs substantively from that of 2016, political consultant Andreas Kaju said.

13.01.25 NEWS ... According to Riigikogu Speaker Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200), a law could be passed ahead of the next presidential elections in Estonia, due a year and a half from now, which would grant the powers to reform those elections to the Riigikogu, and away from the Ministry of Justice.

10.01.25 NEWS ... Center Party Chairman Mihhail Kõlvart said he is discussing a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) with opposition parties over the appointment of the new secretary of state.

10.01.25 NEWS ... Although Prime Minister Kristen Michal's (Reform) government has been in office for six months, an official work plan has not yet been agreed upon. He said the action program would be approved shortly.

09.01.25 NEWS ... Long serving former Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) politicians Henn Põlluaas and Ants Frosch announced Thursday that they are joining the opposition Isamaa party.

08.01.25 NEWS ... A heritage meadowland restoration measure has been added to the draft climate act, which proponents say both helps achieve carbon neutrality and helps with nature conservation.

08.01.25 NEWS ... Non-citizens living in Estonia, also known as gray passport holders, will not lose their voting rights in local government council elections, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said on Tuesday.

08.01.25 NEWS ... Riigikogu President Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200) tells ERR in an interview that the Riigikogu's rules of procedure should be clarified to improve the efficiency of parliamentary work and to grant more authority to session chairs. According to Hussar, it is not realistic to hire an advisor for each member of parliament, as doing so would require a 10 percent increase in the parliament's budget.

08.01.25 NEWS ... Coalition partner Eesti 200's rating has dropped to 2.9 percent, an all-time low since the party was founded in 2018, according to a recent poll.

07.01.25 NEWS ... Leader of opposition party Isamaa Urmas Reinsalu has criticized Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) for adapting the post of state secretary to accommodate Ministry of Climate Secretary General Keit Kasemets. Reinsalu said he opposes politicizing the state secretary role.

07.01.25 NEWS ... The minister of economy and industry wants the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS) to drop its focus on the green transition. Additionally, it must cut its low-impact services.

07.01.25 NEWS ... Taimar Peterkop, who has served as Estonia's state secretary since December 2018, will step down from the position in February. Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced plans to propose Keit Kasemets as his successor.

07.01.25 NEWS ... Eesti 200 and the Reform Party must decide whether to risk a conflict with the Social Democrats, with whom they share a coalition and who oppose stripping voting rights from stateless persons, or to take the chance that the opposition will block efforts to revoke voting rights from Russian citizens as well.

05.01.25 NEWS ... In the coming year, Estonian residents will once again elect new representatives to local councils. The major political parties are entering the elections from a rather unusual position in terms of public support, and the elections could also create tensions within the governing coalition.

05.01.25 NEWS ... Political parties are preparing for local elections, but according to politicians, there are several issues that need attention beyond the elections, including energy security, boosting the economy and lowering food prices.

03.01.25 NEWS ... There is a persistent belief that state owned energy firm Eesti Energia, which is built on oil shale-generated electricity, is some kind of behemoth which must constantly be the subject of mistrust or restraint, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi (Reform) said Friday.

02.01.25 NEWS ... The Estonian government is exploring measures to mitigate the continued rise in energy prices, including investing in new gas power plants, adjusting renewable energy fees, and discussing strategies to support residents, businesses, and food security.

01.01.25 NEWS ... President Alar Karis at the end of 2024 declined to promulgate an amendment to the Earth's Crust Act, citing constitutional issues and disproportionate restrictions on business freedoms.

31.12.24 NEWS ... Kadri Simson's departure from the Center Party does not come as a surprise, as she has long made it clear that neither the party's leadership nor the direction it is moving in, suits her, Center Party Chair Mihhail Kõlvart told ERR radio.

31.12.24 NEWS ... Estonia's former EU commissioner Kadri Simson announced on Tuesday that she will leave the Center Party, as the new leadership is transforming the party in ways unfamiliar to her. She has no plans to join another political party.

29.12.24 NEWS ... This Saturday, Narva City Council successfully ousted Mayor Jaan Toots (Center) with a no-confidence vote, and elected Katri Raik (Respect) as mayor for the third time.

28.12.24 NEWS ... A vote of no confidence against the Mayor or Narva Jaan Toots (Center) will be held on Saturday – for the second time in a month.

27.12.24 NEWS ... Eesti Energia, owner of the Iru Power Plant, believes a change to the Electricity Market Act stripping the facility of cogeneration support is unconstitutional. The company is raising the issue with the chancellor of justice.

27.12.24 NEWS ... Support for the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) rose to 15.2 percent in the final survey of the year, placing them third in the party popularity rankings.

26.12.24 NEWS ... It is difficult to view the increased attacks on underwater cables in the Baltic Sea as a coincidence, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas told ERR. The EU is considering sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet.

26.12.24 NEWS ... The Estonian Navy and NATO allies will start to more actively monitor critical undersea infrastructure after the EstLink 2 outage, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said on Thursday.

26.12.24 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) and government members will hold a press conference at 6 p.m. on Thursday (December 26) to discuss the situation with EstLink 2. You can watch the session with English translation on ERR News.

24.12.24 NEWS ... Wolf hunting can continue in Estonia after an appeal by the Environmental Board was upheld by the Tallinn Circuit Court on Monday.

24.12.24 NEWS ... Opposition parties think the Riigikogu has adopted too many bills this year. The coalition says most are connected to the budget and security policy.

23.12.24 NEWS ... The Estonian Political Party Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) is set to investigate whether the participation of Riigikogu MP and former Minister of Finance Mart Võrklaev (Reform) in a clip from a popular TV series, which was used to advertise a Škoda dealership on social media can be considered as a form of political advertising and thus a prohibited donation. Võrklaev disagrees with the ERJK's assessment.

20.12.24 NEWS ... People smugglers on Latvia's eastern borders are becoming "smarter" and using new techniques to try and avoid detection all the time, Prime Minister Evika Silina told ERR News in an interview this week. The situation is "very dangerous."

20.12.24 NEWS ... The situation in the Narva City Council remains unclear, with no coalition holding a definitive majority. Another wave of no-confidence motions is expected early next year.

20.12.24 NEWS ... The Estonian Academy of Arts' (EKA) decision to terminate cooperation with Israeli universities came as a surprise to on academic affected by the decision.

19.12.24 NEWS ... Eesti 200, with the support of other MPs, have ousted Lauri Laats (Center) from his role as chair of the Riigikogu's Estonia-Georgia friendship group. Laats is replaced by Ando Kiviberg (Eesti 200). According to Kiviberg, Laats had been presenting Russian foreign policy narratives regarding the current situation in Georgia.

19.12.24 NEWS ... MP Henn Põlluaas, who recently quit the fledgling Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (ERK) party months after helping found it, announced that he has decided what political party he will be joining next, and promised to reveal which at the beginning of the new year.

19.12.24 NEWS ... Despite government spending cuts, Estonian ministries are adding new deputy secretary general roles to address sector priorities, yet at the same time these positions must be funded within existing budgets and without additional financial support.

19.12.24 NEWS ... The Estonian Academy of Arts' (EKA) recent ruling to terminate cooperation with an Israeli higher education institution has divided students and faculty at the Tallinn-based university.

19.12.24 NEWS ... The Estonian Academy of Arts' (EKA) outgoing rector Mart Kalm has defended the institution's decision to terminate its contract with an Israeli lecturer, referring to it as a "technical matter," which has been unfairly politicized.

18.12.24 NEWS ... A Ministry of Climate proposal to install surveillance cameras near public packaging waste containers in order to identify individuals who dispose of improper waste has raised several concerns from the Ministry of Justice.