Long-time Estonian MP, former prime minister Siim Kallas will step down from the parliament, the Riigikogu, ERR reports. Timo Suslov, secretary general of the Estonian Reform Party, said that Kallas, 75, was stepping down due to health reasons. His seat in the Riigikogu will now be taken up by Reform’s Jüri Jaanson. Kallas said that…
Ukraine should have the right to strike Russian air bases to “eliminate the sources of attacks and save lives,” Estonia’s Defence Minister, Hanno Pevkur, stated, ERR reports. He pointed to Russia’s continued attacks on residential buildings and critical infrastructure. Ukraine knows where the strikes are coming from, Pevkur noted. He reiterated Estonia’s position that the…
Estonian power plants produced 5,686 GWh of electricity in 2023, which was 37% less than in 2022, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Power plants produced 4,323 GWh of heat energy (district heating), which was down 15% on year. The amount of electricity generated from oil shale fell by nearly 40% over a…
The consumer price index (CPI) in Estonia rose by 3.2% on year in August 2024, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. The price of goods rose by 1.4% and services by 6.3% over a year. Compared to July 2024, the CPI rose by 0.4%. The CPI was affected the most by the increase…
Russia’s military intelligence (GRU) has been conducting cyberattacks against Estonia, other NATO and EU states, and Ukraine since 2020, according to the Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO), ERR reports. A police investigation identified three GRU officers suspected of involvement in the attacks, and a court has issued international warrants for their arrest in absentia. The…
The Estonian government plans to cut public funding for political parties by 10% in the 2025 state budget, Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced, ERR reports. Both Michal and Regional Affairs Minister Piret Hartman expect that the reduction will have an impact on party activities. Michal said that right-wing parties, which usually receive more support from…
The number of job vacancies listed in Estonia totalled 9,908 in the second quarter of 2024, which was 11% less than a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. The total number of vacant and occupied jobs amounted to just over 609,000, with vacancies accounting for 1.6% of all employment positions. The…
The Estonian government plans to raise the country’s retirement age by one month as of 2027, ERR reports, citing daily Õhtuleht. Under the change, the new retirement age will be 65 years and one month. The retirement age is linked to the life expectancy of 65-year-olds. However, the retirement age cannot be raised by more…
Estonia’s opposition conservative Fatherland (Isamaa) party remained the country’s most popular political party in August 2024, according to the latest Norstat poll for the Institute for Societal Research (YI), ERR reports. Isamaa’s support among voters now stands at 27.6%, followed by the ruling Estonian Reform Party with 19.4% and its coalition partner, the Social Democratic…