Estonia could resist a Russian invasion for “a couple of weeks” before the arrival of NATO support, according to Colonel Mati Tikerpuu, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade of the Estonian Land Forces, Business Insider reports. Speaking in an interview with El País, Tikerpuu said that the time would be enough for allied reinforcements to…
Estonia’s Harju County Court has acquitted the defendants in a criminal case against the management of the Port of Tallinn due to statute of limitations, ERR reports. The court determined that the accused members of the port’s management board, who were charged with bribery and money laundering, did not act as officials, reclassifying their actions…
Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, plans to remove Soviet symbols from city-owned buildings by the end of 2024, ERR reports. The Estonian parliament passed corresponding legislation in 2023. However, President Alar Karis has refused to sign the legislation due to “legal ambiguities.” Deputy mayor Madle Lippus notes that changes to protected buildings require approval from the National Heritage…
Estonia’s Minister of Climate, Kristen Michal, will replace Kaja Kallas as prime minister and chairman of the Estonian Reform Party, ERR reports. Kallas is due to resign after the NATO summit in Washington. The government will then be dissolved, and Michal will open talks on a coalition agreement. The current three-party coalition is likely to…
The Estonian government’s planned new car tax will apply to used cars as well because of EU rules, ERR reports. Under the rules, the registration fee on cars will have to apply to second-hand vehicles already registered in Estonia. The government’s initial plan was for the fee to apply to imported vehicles only. The new…
Estonian biomaterials company Fibenol plans to invest EUR 600-700mn in a biorefinery in Latvia, ERR reports. Fibenol’s pretreatment technology will convert locally-sourced wood into biomaterials that can replace fossil fuel-based chemicals in various industries. The company had initially intended to build the plant in Estonia. Fibenol’s owner, Raul Kirjanen, noted that countries rich in wood…
Estonia’s ruling coalition has abandoned a plan to change the current renewable energy fee, which would have raised EUR 60mn annually and shifted costs from consumers to the state, ERR reported. The senior party in the coalition government, the Estonian Reform Party, rejected the plan, citing concerns about the plan’s financial viability. The changes were…
The EstLink 2 undersea electricity cable connecting Estonia and Finland malfunctioned in late January 2024 due to an internal short circuit, transmission system operator Elering announced, ERR reports. The short circuit may have been caused by the cable’s steep angle where it transitions from land to sea. Experts believe the fault resulted from either geological…
The foreign ministers of Estonia and Ukraine, Margus Tsahkna and Dmytro Kuleba, called for using Russia’s frozen assets, valued at over USD 300bn, to help defend and rebuild Ukraine, ERR reported. Writing in a joint article published by the Estonian Foreign Ministry, the two ministers insisted that doing so would be both legal and just,…