The Estonian Reform Party will appoint MP Jürgen Ligi as the new finance minister in the incoming three-party coalition government, outgoing Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev announced, ERR reports. Ligi served as defence minister in 2005-2007 and finance minister in 2009-2014. He has also served as foreign minister and education minister. Moreover, Võrklaev said that Reform…
Estonia’s three ruling parties are likely to draw up a new coalition agreement by 19 July 2024, the Estonian Reform Party’s candidate for prime minister, Kristen Michal, stated, ERR reports. He said that the three parties had already agreed on the majority of the text in the most important policy areas: competitiveness, growth, public finances,…
Estonia’s incoming ruling coalition has agreed to implement budget cuts across all ministries, including defence and interior affairs, ERR reports. Margus Tsahkna, chairman of Estonia 200, said that each ministry would likely face a percentage-based cut to salaries and management costs, and that no new jobs would be created. The coalition plans to extend the…
The Estonian Reform Party has proposed reducing the tax-free income threshold to boost government budget revenue, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas revealed, ERR reports. However, she said that Reform’s coalition partners, Estonia 200 and the Social Democratic Party (SDE), opposed the idea due to its potential adverse impact on low-income earners. Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets of…
Estonia’s ruling coalition parties have agreed to introduce a new tax to fund national defence, ERR reports. Incoming prime minister Kristen Michal of the Estonian Reform Party stated that the tax would likely combine increases in VAT, income tax, and excise duties. The aim was to distribute the financial burden evenly across different societal groups,…
Estonia may deport permanent residents who choose to take Russian citizenship, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirmed, ERR reports, citing Postimees. Earlier, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said that stateless persons who took Russian passports were likely to have their Estonian residence permits revoked and face deportation. Kallas argued that an individual who chooses to obtain Russian…
Estonia’s Minister of Justice, Kalle Laanet (Reform), has proposed that citizens of “aggressor states” be deprived of the right to vote in local elections in Estonia, ERR reports. The ban would apply to nearly 69,000 Russian and Belarusian citizens who are permanent residents in Estonia. The voter turnout in Estonia’s previous municipal elections in October…
Due to a budgeting mistake, Estonia’s Ministry of Education and Research will have insufficient funds to finance the transition to Estonian-language education in Russian-language schools in 2024 and beyond, ERR reports. The former government allocated the same amount of funds (EUR 41mn) for switching to Estonian-language tuition for each year in 2024-2026 as for September-December…
Estonian MEP Yana Toom of the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) visited Russia to meet with pro-Russia activist Zoja Paljamar, who was barred from entering Estonia for security reasons, ERR reports. Toom said that she was visiting her sister in Russia. “Perhaps someone also has a relative in North Korea, too,” she explained. Toom announced on…