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.

18.04.25 NEWS ... In the months leading up to Estonia's local government elections this fall, Parempoolsed stands head and shoulders above the country's other nonparliamentary parties in terms of both ratings and financial resources. The rest are short on both money and candidates.

17.04.25 NEWS ... Support for Isamaa has gradually fallen lately mainly due to women voters moving more towards the non-parliamentary Parempoolsed party, Aivar Voog of Kantar Emor said.

17.04.25 NEWS ... Support for the two coalition parties is this month at its lowest level since the current government entered office, at 20 percent, while opposition support came to 66 percent, according to a recent survey conducted by Kantar Emor.

17.04.25 NEWS ... A municipal council member and ex-director of a local recreational center in Saarde Municipality has been found guilty of falsifying work timesheets.

16.04.25 NEWS ... A local council in Viljandi County made errors in judgment when it terminated a wind farm planning procedure, for example, a petition with a thousand signatures does not constitute overriding public interest, said Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise.

16.04.25 NEWS ... Opposition party Isamaa continues to top the party ratings chart even though it has lost support in recent weeks, according to a recent survey.

15.04.25 NEWS ... Speaking on Vikeraadio show "Stuudios on peaminister," Estonian Prime Minister and Reform Party Chair Kristen Michal that Isamaa would be welcome in government, but it seems the party has chosen popularity instead.

15.04.25 NEWS ... Tallinn city government has approved principles for supporting private schools, abolishing the need for private, non-transparent political funding, Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin (Eesti 200) said.

15.04.25 NEWS ... In the larger municipalities of South Estonia, most political parties plan to run their own candidate lists in the upcoming local elections. Politicians identified the region's general underdevelopment, population decline and poverty as the main topics that need to be addressed.

14.04.25 OPINION ... Ability is not doled out to people equally, and the more capable should indeed play a greater role in governance. And nowhere more so than in today's democratic state, where the ruling class must dialogue with voters, given how much the information space in our societies has changed, political scientist Martin Mölder said.

13.04.25 NEWS ... The Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) believes donations made from a shipbuilding company under criminal investigation to political parties is not problematic.

12.04.25 NEWS ... A detailed version of the new Estonian government coalition agreement will be ready by the end of May. The two coalition parties, Reform and Eesti 200, are currently debating social issues, education and the financing of various spheres.

11.04.25 NEWS ... The Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) has issued its 2025 first-quarter (Q1 2025) financial reports for most of the six Riigikogu parties, plus the non-parliamentary Parempoolsed.

11.04.25 NEWS ... Isamaa's rating dropped by nine percentage points between March and April, now lying slightly ahead of both the coalition Reform Party and the opposition Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), according to a recent survey.

11.04.25 NEWS ... Estonia would need to build up to 400 more wind turbines, onshore and offshore, to meet 2030 climate goals, Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt (Reform) said.

11.04.25 NEWS ... The larger EU nations must increase their defense spending, President Alar Karis said Thursday.

10.04.25 NEWS ... The Board of the Riigikogu has changed the composition of the standing and special committees. In total, the compositions of eight Riigikogu committees have been changed.

10.04.25 NEWS ... If a European Union (EU) rule is not considered acceptable to Estonia, it must be changed in negotiations with the European Commission, said Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform). Minister of Energy and the Environment Andres Sutt (Reform) added that common sense ought to be applied when dealing with EU regulations.

10.04.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday called accusations by Russia about a lack of investigation into the damage and removal of gravestones "baseless allegations."

10.04.25 NEWS ... The Riigikogu on Thursday voted in favor of a proposal by Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise to align the new car tax legislation with the Constitution, with 68 votes in favor at the 101-seat house.

10.04.25 NEWS ... Nuns at Pühtitsa Convent have written to the president to ask him not to promulgate the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act passed by the Riigikogu on Wednesday.

10.04.25 NEWS ... A Riigikogu committee approved an EU electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure requirement for store parking lots without raising concerns, despite its significant financial impact, an impact which has lessened since the directive evolved into its final form.

09.04.25 NEWS ... The Riigikogu on Wednesday adopted an act amending the Churches and Congregations Act to ensure that religious organizations operating in Estonia cannot be used to incite hatred or violence.

10.04.25 NEWS ... It can be tricky to explain to domestic audiences in some European countries further away from Ukraine why increased defense spending is needed, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas told ERR.

09.04.25 NEWS ... Ministry of Climate officials involved in the government's failed €2.6 billion windfarm subsidy program have been dismissed or demoted.

09.04.25 NEWS ... Reform and Eesti 200 have agreed that students will be able to graduate from basic school even if they fail their final exams, as long as their report card grades are passing. This eliminates the need for resits and reduces stress, politicians say.

09.04.25 NEWS ... It will be at least a decade before a nuclear power plant could generate electricity in Estonia, and prices will be higher than average for the first 20 years due to loan repayments, said Fermi Energia CEO Kalev Kallemets.

09.04.25 NEWS ... EKRE's claims of unrest being sparked by the changes with the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK) are fearmongering, said Center Party chair Mihhail Kõlvart on Wednesday. Russian people are not preparing to take to the streets.

09.04.25 NEWS ... Ministry of the Interior actions towards the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK) could lead to a new "Bronze night" and churches in Estonia are being persecuted, Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) leader Martin Helme said.

09.04.25 NEWS ... Support for the opposition party Isamaa continues to decline, while the Center Party's is on the rise, a new survey commissioned by Ühiskonnauuringute instituut and Norstat Eesti AS Norstat shows.

09.04.25 NEWS ... President Alar Karis on Wednesday signed a constitutional amendment revoking the right to vote in local elections from all third-country nationals residing in Estonia. He noted the implications of the change should have been analyzed more in advance, and that the Riigikogu must ensure no negative repercussions follow from the decision.

08.04.25 NEWS ... Polish President Andrzej Duda stressed the importance of developing the European defense industry during a three-day state visit to Estonia on Tuesday.

08.04.25 NEWS ... Tallinn will open 44 polling stations for the local elections this autumn, 33 fewer than last year's EU elections and at previous local elections.

08.04.25 NEWS ... Tallinn is processing plans for the new U.S.' new embassy complex in Estonia and construction is expected to begin in two years' time.