Estonia: Presidential office links legislation to funding request

Estonian media reported that the Office of the President has made the promulgation of legislation passed by the parliament, the Riigikogu, contingent on the government agreeing to allocate additional funding, ERR reports. An anonymous minister told Postimees that Peep Jahilo, head of the Office of the President, requested an additional EUR 360,000 of funding from government reserves and linked the request to the promulgation of legislative amendments. The minister characterised the situation as “absolutely unprecedented and scandalous.” Presidential adviser Toomas Sildam denied that the Office of the President had linked the funding request to bills to be signed, DELFI reports. Meanwhile, Urmas Reinsalu, chairman of the opposition Fatherland (Isamaa) party, demanded an investigation. He noted that the allegations surfaced after President Alar Karis criticised the government’s plan to introduce a car tax.