17.06.26 NEWS ... Pioneer of quantitative political science Rein Taagepera says humanity has entered a transitional era in which consumerism is colliding with the planet's limits, AI is racing into the unknown and the nation-state may eventually give way to new global power networks.

16.06.26 NEWS ... NATO's Vigorous Warrior medical exercise takes place in Estonia this year for the first time in more than 20 years. ERR News spoke to the Surgeon General of the Estonian Defense Forces, Lt. Col. Indrek Olveti, about how medics have become targets and why they can't expect "any luxury" in the future.

10.06.26 NEWS ... A survey of students found that young people see significant potential in ITI, an artificial intelligence-based learning application developed specifically for Estonia's education system, but also find it "really annoying," AI Leap program head Ivo Visak tells ERR in an interview.

07.06.26 NEWS ... Veteran war-zone cameraman and documentary filmmaker Ivar Heinmaa, who has spent decades reporting from conflict zones around the world, tells ERR in an interview that no shot is worth dying for, though he has never truly felt fear during his career.

07.06.26 NEWS ... Despite signals from both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents that an end to hostilities may be possible in the near future, the war continues and peace talks have stalled. In an interview with ERR, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa discusses Ukraine's current hopes, priorities and objectives.

05.06.26 NEWS ... According to Ivo Lille, the new director of Tallinn University's Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM), AI must be integrated in a way that preserves creativity and critical thinking. Curricula should be reviewed with that goal in mind in the near future.

04.06.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of Social Affairs will request an additional €200 million over the next four years in this fall's state budget negotiations to create new special care service places and raise wages for employees working in special care homes, Secretary General Maarjo Mändmaa tells ERR.

02.06.26 NEWS ... Sweden's decision to donate to Ukraine JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets equipped with Meteor missiles will help keep Russian bombers away from the front lines, former Air Force commander Jaak Tarien tells ERR.

29.05.26 NEWS ... The updated Law Enforcement Act brings existing investigative practices up to date by giving police a clear legal basis to ask people for their personal photo and video files to help resolve public order offenses.

27.05.26 NEWS ... Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said his main challenge at the moment is drafting the next state budget, as many politicians are looking to use taxpayer money to offer pre-election giveaways to voters. Estonian parliamentary elections will take place in March 2027.

27.05.26 NEWS ... In a few months, the Art Museum of Estonia will conduct drills on how to quickly move artworks valuable to Estonia to safety. Russia is destroying Ukraine's national identity and cultural sites are being deliberately targeted as well, Ministry of Culture Secretary General Merilin Piipuu tells ERR in an interview.

26.05.26 NEWS ... An Estonian security analyst said that trips to Beijing by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin illustrate the extent of China's growing role and influence in global affairs.

22.05.26 NEWS ... Mass surveillance is neither right nor good for society, Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise says, noting that there's a valid reason why files on some Estonian MPs must exist.

21.05.26 NEWS ... Banker Rain Lõhmus recently stirred up a media storm when he declared that, in order to improve efficiency, ten percent of the weakest employees should be replaced every year. In the interview, the prominent capitalist discusses that controversial statement, but also why he believes Estonia as a whole should take a critical look in the mirror.

21.05.26 NEWS ... The recent meeting between the Russian and Chinese heads of state offered the public few concrete agreements, as the event's main purpose was to counterbalance U.S. influence and present Beijing as the place where global affairs are discussed, Rainer Saks said.

20.05.26 NEWS ... Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that although the drone shot down in Põltsamaa Municipality crashed a few hundred meters from a residential building, risks on the ground always remain when bringing down a drone.

13.05.26 NEWS ... Estonia's efforts to keep the international community focused on the danger posed by Russia directly undermine attempts to attract foreign investment to Estonia, Ahti Kuningas, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications secretary general, said.

12.05.26 NEWS ... China, which holds significant leverage over Iran, is playing a major role in efforts to bring the conflict in the Middle East to a close as Donald Trump travels to Beijing this week, ICDS Director Kristi Raik tells ERR in an interview.

09.05.26 NEWS ... The United Kingdom's Ambassador to Estonia, Ross Allen, will be leaving in July after a five-year stint.

07.05.26 NEWS ... EKRE vice chairman Mart Helme says that Estonia's next president will be chosen by a so‑called cartel consisting of all parties except EKRE.

06.05.26 NEWS ... Estonian artist Merike Estna, selected in the fall of 2024 to represent Estonia at the 61st Venice Art Biennale, discusses her upcoming monumental exhibition, her pursuit of painting and parenthood.

06.05.26 NEWS ... President Alar Karis said in an interview with Vikerraadio that engaging with Russia could only be considered after the latter undergoes change and that there are many politicians in Estonia who rush to condemn his views without taking the time to examine their substance.

29.04.26 NEWS ... Finnish President Alexander Stubb told ERR in an interview that Finland was too lenient toward Russia before 2022. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, however, Finland has made the right decisions.

29.04.26 NEWS ... Freedom is often feared, even though it is required by the Constitution, and overly broad criminal-law provisions have come into being because they enjoyed public support, says Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise.

29.04.26 NEWS ... Ukraine's former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told ERR that China is an "accomplice" in Russia's war against Ukraine, peace talks with Moscow are a "sham," and that the only way to get peace is to "fight like hell." You can watch the full interview on news.err.ee.

28.04.26 NEWS ... Expectations for a presidential candidate strong on foreign policy demonstrate the current government lacks authority in that arena, MEP Sven Mikser (SDE) said.

24.04.26 NEWS ... How many people security agencies wiretap and surveil in Estonia — probably no one knows for sure, but the number may be in the tens of thousands, said attorney-at-law Paul Keres.

20.04.26 NEWS ... While Estonia can follow Israel's example in economic matters and those of national security, the country's unique relationship with the U.S. cannot be copied by others, Estonian Ambassador to Israel Andres Vosman tells ERR in an interview.

17.04.26 NEWS ... Prosecutor General Astrid Asi notes that recent political criticism in Estonia has not made the Prosecutor's Office more cautious. Crimes require investigation regardless of political status to ensure impartial justice, says Asi.

17.04.26 NEWS ... During Tallinn Music Week (TMW), Resident Advisor co-founder Paul Clement spoke about his Estonian roots, global club culture and why he believes nightlife will endure.

15.04.26 NEWS ... There is a deepening and unwelcome trend among Estonian politicians to conduct foreign policy for domestic gains, said Jaap Ora, who left his post as ambassador to Kazakhstan last December.

15.04.26 NEWS ... The fight against corruption in Estonia has taken a wrong turn if prosecutors are focusing to merely seek to prove people's friendships, said attorney-at-law and former Prosecutor General Norman Aas.

11.04.26 NEWS ... Literary scholar Sirje Olesk told ERR in an interview about the development of Estonian women's literature and its founder Lydia Koidula. She said that while there are many good female writers in Estonia today, what matters is whether the reader finds their way to them.

08.04.26 NEWS ... Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi told ERR in an interview that in a situation where the world market price of oil could hit $200, people in Estonia need to get over their fear of renewables.

02.04.26 NEWS ... Urmas Reinsalu, head of the opposition Isamaa party, told ERR that Donald Trump's positions are becoming increasingly transactional, but it is in Estonia's interest that dialogue between the United States and Europe not break down. Reinsalu also described the sharing of information with the Kremlin by Péter Szijjártó as treacherous.

02.04.26 NEWS ... European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas explained on the "Esimene stuudio" talk show why Donald Trump's attacks on NATO are painful for allies and why Ukraine must not be pressured into unfair concessions. Kallas emphasized that diplomacy and unity are the only tools to prevent brute force from prevailing in the world.

01.04.26 NEWS ... Former Air Force commander Jaak Tarien said that although individual Ukrainian drones that have strayed off course may cause anxiety, there is no reason to fear a sudden Russian attack. If an adversary were planning a deliberate strike against Estonia, intelligence services would know long before any drones appeared on radar.

31.03.26 NEWS ... Propastop co-founder Andres Lember tells ERR in an interview that foreign journalists' interest in the "Narva People's Republic" topic has become disproportionately large, but the Estonian press, not Propastop, is responsible for amplifying it.

30.03.26 NEWS ... Col. Fredi Karu, chief of staff of the Air Force, told ERR that Ukraine does not use Estonian or other NATO countries' airspace to launch attacks against Russia. Instead, drones end up in other countries' territories due to electronic jamming or technical malfunctions.

27.03.26 NEWS ... Estonia plans to amend laws to make it easier to bring down suspicious drones. In addition, the police and the EDF will gain improved capabilities to identify what type of drone is involved. It is important for the police to be able to respond to drone-related threats anywhere in Estonia, said Veiko Kommusaar, deputy director general of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA).

24.03.26 NEWS ... Europe's greatest threat is not Russia or China, but a fracturing society and the rise of far-right extremism. To keep democracy alive, military deterrence alone is not enough — a strong welfare state must also be built, Sven Biscop, professor of political science at Ghent University and director of the Egmont Institute, tells ERR.

16.03.26 NEWS ... Social scientist and author of a recent study on Estonians' reading habits, Marju Lauristin, said that while people do read books on the whole, reading is less popular among middle-aged men who, at the same time, set the tone in society today.

02.03.26 NEWS ... Neither the U.S. nor Israel has the political will to deploy ground troops to Iran, while regime change is unlikely without a military presence, said MEP Sven Mikser.

28.02.26 NEWS ... Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of Moldova Cristina Gherasimov said the European Union accession process is "very much an individual exercise" and each country must do its "own homework" to be accepted into the bloc.

27.02.26 NEWS ... Longtime European Commission transport chief Henrik Hololei tells ERR in an interview that flawed green transition policies, the absence of a true capital market and political indecision have left the EU in a position where talk of competitiveness has replaced real economic strength. He declined to elaborate on his disciplinary proceedings.

26.02.26 NEWS ... Academic freedom is in very good shape at Estonian universities, incoming Tallinn University rector Priit Reiska tells ERR in an interview, adding that maintaining that freedom depends on preserving the distinct profiles of universities.

25.02.26 NEWS ... Reform Party wants to announce a wind farm auction, but coalition partner Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas questions whether building new wind farms without energy storage would lower prices for consumers.

20.02.26 NEWS ... Tallinn University political scientist Ott Lumi told ERR Estonia's governance is overly technocratic, prompting the launch of the Chamber of Principle, an open platform offering ideas to all political parties.

12.02.26 NEWS ... Kaupo Rosin, director of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, said that despite Russia's efforts to portray itself as capable of waging war for decades to come, the country is in poor shape and increasingly vulnerable to each new round of sanctions.

10.02.26 NEWS ... Riigikogu Speaker Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200) told ERR in a brief interview that U.S. President Donald Trump would be a highly credible candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize if his efforts were to result in a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.