06.06.23 NEWS ... There are no further obstacles to Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) MP Varro Vooglaid sitting on public broadcaster ERR's supervisory board, Riigikogu culture committee chair Heljo Pikhof (SDE) says.

05.06.23 NEWS ... Isamaa has nominated Meelis Leidt as the new deputy mayor responsible for Tartu city assets and finances.

05.06.23 NEWS ... The Internal Security Service (ISS) did not stop businessman and Isamaa donor Parvel Pruunsild from making a private phone during a raid at his home last week, Minister of Interior Lauri Lauri Läänemets (SDE) said on Monday.

05.06.23 NEWS ... The spring session of the Riigikogu is set to end on June 15, and because the parliament will very likely fail to pass the coalition's bills by then, an extraordinary session will be convened for after Midsummer holidays.

05.06.23 NEWS ... Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) opened the Estonian Embassy and Business Hub in Singapore on Monday, together with Lawrence Wong, acting Prime Minister of Singapore.

05.06.23 NEWS ... Head of Estonia's Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) Liisa Oviir told ERR that the upcoming discussion of the elections activities of the Liberal Citizen Foundation (SALK) will hopefully result in new powers for the committee in analyzing the activities of various political organizations.

05.06.23 NEWS ... Peeter Ernits, who failed to win a seat in the current Riigikogu, has announced his candidacy for the role of EKRE party chair.

05.06.23 NEWS ... Estonian Minister of Culture Heidy Purga (Reform) has confirmed Ruuben Kaalep (EKRE) as a member of the board of the Integration Foundation (Integratsiooni Sihtasutus). Kaalep was previously recalled from a board role due to being a member of the Riigikogu.

04.06.23 NEWS ... Liisa Oviir, head of Estonia's Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERK), said that the committee will look into the activities of the Liberal Citizen Foundation (SALK) during the 2023 elections to determine whether they could have constituted illicit donations.

03.06.23 NEWS ... Newly-elected Mayor of the South Estonian town of Jõgeva, Taavi Aas (Center), has started work by taking a lengthy vacation, daily Tartu Postimees reports.

03.06.23 NEWS ... A court on Friday threw out a complaint from representatives of local residents likely to be affected by a planned Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) training area expansion.

03.06.23 NEWS ... Any newcomer to the political party scene must face a steep learning curve in dealing with crises and engaging in effective public relations, Tallinn University political scientist Tõnis Saarts says.

02.06.23 NEWS ... Argo Luude, CEO and owner of one of Estonia's largest utility companies, who recently resigned from the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), will continue to be a member of the party's group in Tallinn City Council. Luude does not intend to join another political party in the near future.

02.06.23 NEWS ... Current Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) chair Martin Helme is at the time of writing the only candidate in the running at the party's leadership elections, with just over a week to go.

02.06.23 NEWS ... Eesti 200 is replacing MP Tarmo Tamm with Züleyxa Izmailova in the post of Riigikogu environment committee chair. Izmailova only recently became an MP.

02.06.23 NEWS ... The owner of an Estonian bank who is the subject of criminal suspicions relating to a real estate deal in Tartu says that a search of his home which took place Tuesday was simply an effort to create a more damaging case to his reputation than the actual situation.

01.06.23 NEWS ... The coalition is creating regulations for foundations that seek to influence politics and plans to introduce them in the autumn. Legislation has already been drawn up that will give monitoring rights to the Political Party Funding Supervision Committee (ERJK).

01.06.23 NEWS ... Civil servants' salaries rose by an average of 12.6 percent in 2023, putting the average monthly paycheck at €2,138.

01.06.23 NEWS ... Minister of Justice Kalle Laanet (Reform) has sent a draft bill which would protect whistleblowers in the workplace, and which is aimed at ensuring the protection of those who covertly report violations of the law in public sector institutions, and in private sector companies with more than 50 employees.

01.06.23 NEWS ... The continued plummeting of coalition party Eesti 200's rating with the public has put it behind the Social Democrats (SDE), according to one recent survey.

01.06.23 NEWS ... The parliament could mull regulating the activities of organizations that are not registered as political parties but still affect politics, outgoing Isamaa party head Helir-Valdor Seeder said.

01.06.23 NEWS ... The United Left Party (EÜVP) may be compulsorily wound up due to a lack of members.

01.06.23 NEWS ... The Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) wants information from Isamaa and Parempoolsed regarding the conditions on which they're paying their elections campaign debts. The committee wants answers by the time of its next meeting in mid-June.

31.05.23 NEWS ... Over 1,000 amendments were submitted to the Riigikogu's Finance Committee in relation to four draft tax bills and over 80 percent were drawn up by EKRE.

31.05.23 NEWS ... Coalition party Eesti 200 did not accurately perceive public expectations in the wake of embezzlement allegations relating to a former MP from the party, and an NGO set up to aid Ukraine, the party's vice chair, Kristina Kallas, says.

31.05.23 NEWS ... A rise in the monthly minimum wage in Estonia which will put it at 50 percent of mean monthly earnings within the enxt few years may casue some companies difficulties, but the state will support them in that, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets (SDE) says.

31.05.23 NEWS ... The opposition Conservative People's Party (EKRE) that last week became the most popular party in Estonia in Norstat and NGO Institute for Societal Studies' poll has extended its lead in front of the ruling Reform Party.

31.05.23 NEWS ... Estonia's Supreme Court on Tuesday published an appeal submitted by opposition parties to quash Riigikogu decisions that put an end to their obstruction tactics, following requests from ERR and Delfi Media. They want the parliament's agenda reset to May 15.

29.05.23 NEWS ... As Estonia has an active legal assistance and legal relationships in civil, family and criminal matters with Russia, Estonian courts will continue to process Russian court rulings. Minister of Justice Kalle Laanet (Reform) said that the agreement with Russia should be terminated.

29.05.23 NEWS ... The Constitutional Review Chamber of the Supreme Court determined on Monday, in response to a complaint filed by the opposition, that the positions of the government, the Riigikogu and the Chancellor of Justice will be sought, with a deadline set by next Monday.

29.05.23 NEWS ... In an effort to prevent tax hikes and cuts to family benefits, the opposition parties have submitted about 1,500 amendments to three of the objectionable bills. Presumably, the coalition will tie the bills to a vote of confidence.

29.05.23 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said that Estonia has no intention of submitting to Russia's opposition to Estonia's upcoming OSCE chairmanship.

29.05.23 NEWS ... The disparate sizes of Estonian electorates are widely acknowledged, but nothing has been done to resolve the issue. It is time to attempt again.

29.05.23 NEWS ... Outgoing Isamaa chairman Helir-Valdor Seeder told ERR in an interview that while there were members who wanted to see him go, he did not feel pressured to leave and decided for himself. Seeder, who plans to remain active in politics, backs all three chairman candidates – Urmas Reinsalu, Tõnis Lukas and Lea Danilson-Järg

29.05.23 NEWS ... The opposition Conservative People's Party (EKRE) said that party chairman Martin Helme will on Monday present to the Riigikogu's social affairs and finance committees over 1,000 proposals to amend to stop the government from moving forward with slashing family benefits and hiking taxes.

29.05.23 NEWS ... Businessman, Eesti 200 member Joakim Helenius is disappointed in his party's coalition negotiators as the agreement does not include a single idea proposed by the party's working group, while Eesti 200 agreed to everything put forward by the Reform Party.

26.05.23 NEWS ... An appeal by Riigikogu members from the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), the Center Party and Isamaa against a decision by the Riigikogu, which limited its ability to continue a filibuster, has reached the Supreme Court of Estonia.

26.05.23 NEWS ... German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is on an official visit to Estonia today, Friday, and will be giving a joint press conference with the heads of government of all three Baltic States.

26.05.23 NEWS ... Former government minister Taavi Aas (Center) has been elected mayor of the South Estonian town of Jõgeva by 17 votes in favor, three against and five abstaining or absent.

25.05.23 NEWS ... On Thursday, opposition politicians promised to submit an appeal with the Supreme Court against the board of the Riigikogu, which had suspended procedural questions and interpellations. In this way the opposition attempted to obstruct the debate on legislation it opposes, and considers the board's actions to be unlawful. A large majority of opposition MPs supported the petition.

25.05.23 NEWS ... Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen could become the next NATO secretary general, while Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) is also considered, Politico wrote on Thursday.

25.05.23 NEWS ... The Estonian opposition does not want to make public its appeal to the Supreme Court against a decision by the Riigikogu, which limited its ability to filibuster, said lawyer Paul Keres, who is representing MPs from the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), the Center Party and Isamaa.

25.05.23 NEWS ... Isamaa's problem is modest credibility among young people and women, Lea Danilson-Järg tells ERR in an interview after announcing her last-minute bid for Isamaa leader. While she does not see the party merging again with offshoot Parempoolsed, Danilson-Järg believes Isamaa needs to have room for diverse opinion and shouldn't push away those who feel differently.

25.05.23 NEWS ... According to Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsakhna (Eesti 200), there is no problem with freedom of expression in Latvia. In his view, the recent discussions in Latvia surrounding media freedom are election-related.

25.05.23 NEWS ... The planned Ministry of Climate, which will concentrate under the one roof tasks previously dispersed across two ministries and also the government office, will have more deputy secretary general positions than any other ministry, at nine.

25.05.23 NEWS ... Former Estonian Minister of Justice Lea Danilson-Järg has announced that she will run for the role of Isamaa Party Chair. Danilson-Järg joins Tõnis Lukas and Urmas Reinsalu, who have already declared their aims to become the party's new leader.

25.05.23 NEWS ... Representatives of parliament parties argued over Family Act amendments to allow same-sex marriage in Estonia and tying it to the implementing provisions of the Registered Partnership Act during an "Esimene stuudio" debate.

25.05.23 NEWS ... An Eesti 200 MP who heads up the Riigikogu's environment committee is the subject of two misdemeanor proceedings relating to his timber business activities in the village of Käsmu, Lääne-Viru County.

24.05.23 NEWS ... On Wednesday, the Riigikogu approved the proposal made by President Alar Karis to appoint Urmas Varblane as Bank of Estonia's (Eesti Pank) new supervisory board chair.

24.05.23 NEWS ... Chairman of the Riigikogu European Union Affairs Committee (ELAK) Liisa-Ly Pakosta has sent a letter to ministries and the Government Office, criticizing them for overeagerness in adopting EU regulations and asking for examples of efforts to adopt a more sensible process.