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,…
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,…
The Estonian government has decided to terminate the country’s legal assistance agreement with Russia, ERR reports. The agreement mostly applies to cases under family and commercial law. The decision will lower judicial cooperation with Russia to the same level as with other third countries. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted that the legal assistance treaty was…
Estonia’s three-party ruling coalition will meet on 30 January 2024 to discuss the state of the coalition, according to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, chairman of Estonia 200 (E200), ERR reports. Tsahkna said that E200 would propose ways to revitalise the economy, including measures to reform education, ensure labour and capital availability, and stabilise energy prices…
The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland was damaged deliberately by human activity, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated, ERR reports. The undersea gas pipeline was closed due to a leak. Pictures taken at the scene indicated that the damage was done by “something greater than a diver or unmanned submersible,” Pevkur said. He…
Finnish authorities suspect that Russia attacked the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, Finnish daily Iltalehti reports. The undersea pipeline in the Gulf of Finland was closed due to a leak on 8 October 2023. At the same time, telecommunications operator Elisa’s data cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged as well, ERR reports. Finnish…
Estonia’s President Alar Karis and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna strongly condemned attacks by the Palestinian terrorist organisation, Hamas, against Israel, ERR reported. Tsahkna stated that Estonia stood in solidarity with Israel, which had a full right to defend itself and its people. Meanwhile, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament,…
Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, criticised US technology entrepreneur Elon Musk for denying Ukraine access to his astronautics company SpaceX’s satellite network, Starlink, ERR reports. Tsahkna noted that Musk had an opportunity to shorten the war in Ukraine and save lives, but chose not to do so. Musk said that he had refused Ukraine’s request…