20.05.25 NEWS ... Many politicians and media outlets have hit out at a European Union regulation which will require political ads to be fully labeled as such, including information on funding sources, and which will come into effect just a few days before Estonia's local elections in October, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

19.05.25 NEWS ... Nine days before this year's local elections are due to take place in Estonia, a European Commission regulation will enter into force requiring election advertisements to be labeled as political advertisements. The regulation, which is not viewed positively by politicians or advertising space sellers in Estonia, also requires ads to include information on how the campaign has been financed.

19.05.25 OPINION ... In a sense, this is the darkest hour for Estonian democracy in recent times. A government with such low support inevitably struggles to govern effectively, since whatever it does is likely to go against the will of the majority of voters, writes Martin Mölder in his Vikerraadio daily commentary.

19.05.25 NEWS ... Economic Affairs and Industry Minister Erkki Keldo, a lead Reform Party negotiator, said the coalition agreement is essentially complete and likely to be approved Saturday. However, some funding decisions will await the Finance Ministry's summer forecast.

19.05.25 NEWS ... The Council of Baltic Sea States should rebrand and focus on tackling hybrid threats in the region and, if the situation deteriorates, it should be given a strategic military mandate, a new report recommends.

19.05.25 NEWS ... Estonia's Transport Administration has recommended vessels avoid Russian waters when sailing in the Gulf of Finland since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, said Kristjan Truu, head of the agency's maritime service.

18.05.25 NEWS ... Russian authorities on Sunday detained a Greek oil tanker after it left an Estonian port while sailing on a pre-agreed route in Russia's territorial waters. The incident comes several days after Estonia attempted to stop a Russian shadow fleet vessel.

18.05.25 NEWS ... Estonia is seeking permission from the European Commission to sell seal products derived from culling within the European Union, joining Finland and Sweden in the appeal.

18.05.25 NEWS ... Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu is seeking re-election unopposed at the party's general assembly later this month.

18.05.25 NEWS ... The coalition agreement between the Reform and Eesti 200 parties is nearly complete, with the coalition council set to discuss the document Monday.

16.05.25 NEWS ... The Estonian and Polish foreign ministers will discuss regional security at a press conference after a meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States at Vihula Manor, Estonia on Friday.

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.