10.07.25 NEWS ... Any cuts to VAT on food would need to be covered either by larger budget cuts or by fresh taxes, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said, adding that comparable countries such as Latvia have been experiencing similar food prices to Estonia's, despite cutting the rate on food.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia may block the adoption of the European Union's 18th sanctions package against Russia if the price cap on Russian oil is not dropped to $45, Minister of Foreign Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) has indicated.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Mayor of Tallinn Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) said there are two possible outcomes of the upcoming local elections: either he will continue as mayor, or Mihhail Kõlvart (Center) will return to lead the council.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Support for the Reform Party has dropped to 15.9 percent in the Riigikogu election poll, the lowest level since early 2019, Norstat's latest survey shows.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Three months before the local elections, the Center Party holds the highest level of support in Tallinn. A new poll shows the recent coalition crisis in the capital boosted support for Center and weakened support for Reform.

08.07.25 NEWS ... A motion of no confidence against Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) has failed. Only members of the city's opposition voted in favor of the motion at an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday.

08.07.25 NEWS ... Although it is very difficult to justify rationally, normalizing relations with Russia seems to be a long-term priority for U.S. President Donald Trump, said Kristi Raik, director of the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS).

07.07.25 NEWS ... According to Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski, during its meeting on Monday, Tallinn City Government decided to send a draft decree to the city council for approval, which would abolish attendance fees at Tallinn's municipal kindergartens from September 1.

07.07.25 NEWS ... At a meeting on Monday, the Reform Party's Tallinn regional board and council, decided to continue in the Tallinn city government and not participate in the vote of no confidence against Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski. The party deems the removal of kindergarten fees as a prerequisite for it to continue in the coalition.

07.07.25 NEWS ... Center Party leader Mihhail Kõlvart says it has been sad to see the power struggle in the Tallinn city government and that after the local elections this fall, Center is ready to hold talks with all the other parties if necessary. According to Kõlvart, a prerequisite for negotiating with the SDE would be that current Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski is not at the table.

07.07.25 NEWS ... Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) has outlined a four-point proposal according to which the Reform Party could return to the city government alongside the three other coalition members.

05.07.25 NEWS ... MPs will discuss amendments to two pieces of legislation sent back to the Riigikogu by President Alar Karis after the summer break.

04.07.25 NEWS ... There are several possible scenarios for how the leadership of Tallinn might continue through the fall elections following a vote of no confidence in Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE). If a new mayor is not elected after the no-confidence vote, the current city council may be dissolved and replaced by a substitute council convened just a month before the election.

04.07.25 NEWS ... The latest politician trust survey by Kantar Emor shows that Estonian residents continue to place the most trust in Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur, followed closely by Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi. Prime Minister Kristen Michal ranks only sixth and his trust rating has declined compared to the end of last year.

03.07.25 NEWS ... Reform chairman and Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the party could have handled the situation in Tallinn City Council better and that he supported entrepreneur Urmas Sõõrumaa's decision to withdraw his bid for mayor.

03.07.25 NEWS ... Twelve percent of voters would support a coalition between the Reform Party and Center Party in Tallinn ahead of the elections, while 69 percent would not, according to a recent survey by Norstat and the Institute for Societal Studies.

02.07.25 NEWS ... The head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Matis Mäeker, said that as of Wednesday, the agency will no longer make inquiries about bank accounts through the enforcement register. Instead, the agency will communicate with banks via email, which takes more time and hampers efforts to prevent money laundering.

02.07.25 NEWS ... Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta (Eesti 200) said she would conduct an audit across the Ministry of Justice to ensure that, in addition to the regulatory gaps regarding bank data requests revealed on Tuesday, there are no other unresolved issues.

02.07.25 NEWS ... The Liivalaia tramline and the "main street" project will not be carried out at the same time as it would close two important roads for several years, Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) said on Wednesday, rejecting an idea allegedly proposed by Deputy Mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere (Reform).

02.07.25 NEWS ... According to Lauri Läänemets, chair of the Social Democratic Party, Urmas Sõõrumaa did not deny during their conversation that the Reform Party and Center Party's plan to bring down Tallinn's current city government had begun well before the public became aware of it.

02.07.25 NEWS ... The Reform Party's political maneuver has reached the finish line, as their mayoral candidate confirmed on Monday that they will form a coalition with the Center Party, Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) said. According to the mayor, the current city government will be ousted next week.

01.07.25 NEWS ... On Tuesday, Urmas Sõõrumaa, the Reform Party's candidate for the role of mayor of Tallinn, said he wants to form a technocratic city government with no executive politicians. Sõõrumaa also envisions the city government's approach being based on the guidelines of Reform and the Center Party in the council.

01.07.25 NEWS ... SDE Riigikogu MP Raimond Kaljulaid has announced that he will not be running as a candidate in the upcoming local elections.

01.07.25 NEWS ... The Reform Party decided Monday to hold talks with all political forces in Tallinn, including Parempoolsed, who are not currently represented on the city council, Reform Party mayoral candidate Urmas Sõõrumaa told ERR.

30.06.25 NEWS ... In early June, the Reform Party confirmed it had no plans to form a possible alliance with the Center Party in Tallinn. It has since emerged that at that same time, an authority under Reform's control was also discussing the procurement process for the Pelguranna tramway route in line with proposals made by the Center Party.

30.06.25 NEWS ... On Monday, Reform Party mayoral candidate Urmas Sõõrumaa will announce whether the party will remain in opposition in Tallinn or begin cooperating with other parties, such as the Center Party, said Pärtel-Peeter Pere, head of the party's Tallinn branch.

30.06.25 NEWS ... Tarmo Jüristo, head of the NGO Liberaalne Kodanik (Liberal Citizen), believes that the Reform Party's handling of the power crisis in Tallinn has been clumsy and uncharacteristic of a party that has long been able to control its public narrative.

30.06.25 NEWS ... Pärtel-Peeter Pere, head of the Reform Party's Tallinn branch, called on his party to cooperate with the Center Party. Center Party chair and former mayor Mihhail Kõlvart told ERR that he is open to negotiations with the Reform Party, but is not interested in forming a coalition.

29.06.25 NEWS ... Pärtel-Peeter Pere, head of the Reform Party's Tallinn chapter, sent a message to the party's internal mailing list urging fellow Reform Party members to cooperate with the Center Party, Õhtuleht reports. Pere said the decision stems from SDE's reluctance to Urmas Sõõrumaa.

29.06.25 NEWS ... Urmas Sõõrumaa's nomination as the Reform Party's candidate for mayor is seen as a sign of the party's weakness, sparking discontent even within its own ranks.

28.06.25 NEWS ... Political scientists say real estate developer Urmas Sõõrumaa is a strategic choice as a mayoral candidate in Tallinn, but could lead to major conflicts of interest due to his involvement in several large-scale developments in the capital.

28.06.25 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) has submitted a proposal to the government to appoint Secretary General Jonatan Vseviov for a second five-year term.

27.06.25 NEWS ... Mayor of Tallinn Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) issued a decree on Friday evening, taking over the responsibilities of the former deputy mayors Pärtel-Peeter Pere and Viljar Jaamu (both Reform).

27.06.25 NEWS ... On Friday, the leadership of the Reform Party's Tallinn chapter nominated businessman Urmas Sõõrumaa as its candidate for mayor of Tallinn. The coalition Reform Party no longer supports Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) remaining in office.

27.06.25 NEWS ... Amid tensions in the ruling coalition, Reform politician Maris Lauri says the party has offered to put her forward as its candidate for mayor of Tallinn — while dismissing talk of a deal with Center as political spin.

27.06.25 NEWS ... Center Party chair Mihhail Kõlvart on Friday ruled out becoming mayor or taking any other political post in Tallinn ahead of this fall's local elections.

27.06.25 NEWS ... Friday's newspaper editorials suggest that the roots of Tallinn's power struggle lie in the Reform Party's poor ratings and the capital's fragmented coalition. It is also believed that the Center Party and its chairman, Mihhail Kõlvart, will be returned to power sooner or later.

26.06.25 NEWS ... The Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (ERK),will focus on making a success of the local elections this fall, especially in Tartu, according to party chair Silver Kuusik.

26.06.25 NEWS ... Entrepreneur Urmas Sõõrumaa has confirmed to ERR that the Reform Party offered him the role of Tallinn Mayor on Wednesday evening. According to the offer, Sõõrumaa would have replaced Jevgeni Ossinovski as mayor, with the rest of the coalition in the capital remaining unchanged.

26.06.25 NEWS ... The Reform Party has made its decision — to break up the current Tallinn city government and bring the Mihhail Kõlvart-led Center Party back into power in the Estonian capital, Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) said in response to a statement issued by the party Thursday morning.

26.06.25 NEWS ... Tallinn Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin (Eesti 200) has accused the Reform Party of staging a "pitiful summer theater" in the capital, as tensions flare within the city's four-party coalition of Reform, Eesti 200, Isamaa and the Social Democratic Party (SDE).

26.06.25 NEWS ... Parempoolsed, who are running in this fall's local elections under the campaign slogan "Better for sure!" ("Kindlalt paremaks!") will focus on the country's largest municipalities. The party has not yet confirmed its list of candidates.

26.06.25 NEWS ... Chair of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), Martin Helme, predicts that political instability will continue in Tallinn over the coming months. However, he does not see joining a coalition just a few months before the elections as either realistic or necessary for EKRE.

26.06.25 NEWS ... According to Center Party chair Mihhail Kõlvart, the Center Party is prepared to cooperate across party lines in the Tallinn City Council through an agreement among all factions until the next elections. However, he said the party is not interested in forming a coalition with the Reform Party before the October elections.

26.06.25 OPINION ... We see no way to support the supplementary budget if it does not include the elimination of kindergarten fees. This is about choices — and this is ours, writes Pärtel-Peeter Pere, head of the Reform Party's Tallinn chapter and deputy mayor, in a message to current coalition partners.

26.06.25 NEWS ... Tallinn Deputy Mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere (Reform) has formally told the city's coalition partners that his party no longer supports Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) remaining in office.

25.06.25 NEWS ... Over the past week, support has increased for both Isamaa, which tops the party rankings, and the Conservative People's Party (EKRE), which holds second place, according to data released Wednesday from the weekly survey conducted by the Institute for Societal Studies in cooperation with pollster Norstat Eesti AS.

21.06.25 NEWS ... An Estonian political prisoner detained in Belarus was freed alongside 13 others in a U.S.-backed deal on Saturday and arrived back in Estonia the same evening.

20.06.25 NEWS ... Tallinn's Social Democrats (SDE), Isamaa and Eesti 200 have proposed a compromise to the Reform Party: instead of eliminating kindergarten fees, lower them to €35 a month starting September 1. Reform confirmed they want a solution, not political games.

20.06.25 NEWS ... While charges have been flying around, and rejected, about collusion in the capital between the Reform Party and the Center Party in recent weeks, according to one recent survey such an alignment in Tallinn would not impress much of the electorate even if it did emerge.