20.03.26 OPINION ... Protecting children from criminals is a critically important responsibility shared by society as a whole. To help safeguard children from pedophiles, the state has established two simple measures, which Mallu Mariann Treimann-Legrant has now commendably brought back to the attention of a large portion of Estonia. I call on everyone to always be active in the best interests of children, while adhering to the rules agreed upon in a state governed by the rule of law, writes Liisa Pakosta.

20.03.26 OPINION ... Drawing on the experiences and lessons of other countries, we could already be asking what political parties seeking a seat in parliament see as a sustainable level of government debt for Estonia — and what they plan to do about it after the 2027 elections, write Peter Lõhmus and Viljar Arakas.

20.03.26 OPINION ... The dismissal of a Riigikogu advisor after 32 years in office is not just a humanly callous decision, it also negatively impacts journalism in Estonia, writes Urmet Kook.

18.03.26 OPINION ... Nordic and Baltic cooperation has been growing stronger for a long time and could culminate in a United North as a new pillar of strength for the free world grounded in democracy, trust and a shared responsibility for security, writes Marko Mihkelson.

18.03.26 OPINION ... The war in Iran has presented a unique opportunity for Ukraine. As many as 11 Persian Gulf countries have already submitted requests for Ukraine to assist in combating Iranian drones. Demand for Ukraine's experience shows that Kyiv now holds the "cards" that Donald Trump has been talking about all along, writes Peeter Kaldre.

16.03.26 OPINION ... Are Vladimir Putin's and Donald Trump's "special operations" the cases where Estonia's foreign policy stance should clearly diverge? Answers, whether one way or the other, would mean choosing one narrative over another, writes Eiki Berg.

13.03.26 OPINION ... A counter-propaganda site in Estonia staffed by volunteers has, far from curbing misinformation, served as a megaphone for obscure pro-Kremlin social media accounts, ERR's head of Radio news Indrek Kiisler writes.

12.03.26 OPINION ... If Estonians already think highly of their language, nation and land, the rest of the world still needs convincing — and to achieve that, estocentrism must come to the rescue: the declaration of Estonia as the center of the world. Replacing the United Nations Charter with Valdur Mikita's "The Art of Listening to a Chanterelle" would then only be a matter of time, Kaupo Meiel muses.

10.03.26 OPINION ... Australia and the UK were the first to introduce age restrictions that add fuel to the fire of mass surveillance. Now, American laws could inspire European politicians to broaden the scope of age verification this side of the ocean, finds Oliver Laas.

09.03.26 OPINION ... Attempts to help people, improve health and offer solutions are positive. But things recommended or sold to people should be rooted in scientific research, instead of just trying to look like they are, writes Kari Kuulman.

06.03.26 OPINION ... Loan scam victims in Estonia are increasingly being told they can escape fraudulent loan agreements in court, but the law does not actually support such optimism and recent statements by officials and even court rulings risk giving people false hope, writes Kärt Pormeister.

06.03.26 OPINION ... Where to vacation is ultimately up to each family, but clear travel warnings from the Foreign Ministry would sure beat million-euro evacuations, writes ERR's Tatjana Gassova.

06.03.26 OPINION ... An equal sign must not be drawn between Mihhail Stalnuhhin and Ida-Viru County, Erik Gamzejev says in Vikerraadio's daily commentary.

06.03.26 OPINION ... Estonia must produce more of its own energy, ensuring energy security and affordable prices. On Thursday, the government made one of the most significant decisions of recent years to achieve this goal, writes Andres Sutt

04.03.26 OPINION ... A situation where the economy is driven more by public sector spending and less by exports and investment cannot function in the long term. The number of public sector employees must be reduced and the functioning of the state made more efficient, writes Ain Hanschmidt.

04.03.26 OPINION ... References to "scientific consensus" should cease in situations where our knowledge is in fact incomplete. Estonia's public institutions must improve the quality of research and ensure greater political independence in decision-making on both energy and medical issues, writes Argo Rosin.

04.03.26 OPINION ... On December 17, Daria Egereva, a Selkup activist fighting for the rights of Siberia's indigenous peoples, was arrested in Russia. This is the moment when the repressive policies of the Putin regime became personal for me, Aimar Ventsel writes.

03.03.26 OPINION ... Watching events unfold in Iran from Tallinn, Mehran Eftekhari writes that Estonia's hard-won independence, digital democracy and uncompromising defense of press freedom offer a living blueprint for what a post-regime Iran could become — proof that a nation can emerge from ideological oppression into a functioning, secular democracy.

02.03.26 OPINION ... The Iranians are Persians, a proud nation. They are Muslims, but not Arabs. It seems they made a serious mistake hitting targets in Arab countries. That is how you end up alone. That said, history teaches us that the Persians have always been a tough nut to crack for foreign invaders, writes Siim Kallas.

27.02.26 OPINION ... EU member states along the eastern border carry a responsibility that goes beyond our territory, said Prime Minister Kristen Michal in the opening speech of the Eastern Border Regions High-Level Conference in Brussels on Thursday.

26.02.26 OPINION ... I assure you: anyone who has embraced Estonia's cultural space and laws can feel confident and secure in Estonia, Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said in a speech given at Hermann Castle, Narva on Independence Day.

26.02.26 OPINION ... Lääneranna Municipality's amateur archaeologist Tarvi (name changed) discovered a black box by the sea containing recordings of conversations that took place on what historians believe was the last county bus ever to operate in Estonia. According to experts, Prime Minister Kristen, Regional Affairs Minister Hendrik Johannes and Undersecretary Sigrid were indeed real people and did, on one verified occasion, actually ride a bus.

25.02.26 OPINION ... It is on Ukraine's shoulders that the obligation enshrined in NATO's "factory settings" now rests. Ukraine's defeat — or a deceptive ceasefire — would only embolden Vladimir Putin's ambitions and as Washington's strategists dream of NATO 3.0, they should include Ukraine in it as well, writes Peeter Kaldre.

24.02.26 OPINION ... Estonia's continuity is not a self-evident gift, but a responsibility borne by every generation, President Alar Karis said during his Independence Day speech. The future hinges on choices made by each and every one of us, headded.

24.02.26 OPINION ... We have no reason to fear tomorrow if we have thoroughly prepared for it today. Let us therefore prepare together for a decisive battle, with victory as our unwavering goal, said Lt. Gen. Andrus Merilo, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, in his Independence Day speech.

24.02.26 OPINION ... Estonia was born out of the courage to exercise the right of nations to self-determination and to decide their own destiny, said Speaker of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar in his speech on Independence Day. He also stressed that freedom should never be taken for granted and requires constant responsibility and joint efforts.

24.02.26 OPINION ... In 2026, we will likely see movement on a collision course. The desire to go back or forward, east or west, toward closure or openness, will collide. Every Estonian's inner voice tells them which direction to support. My vision is clear: Estonia must be an aggressively future-oriented country, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said in his Independence Day speech delivered in Tartu.

23.02.26 OPINION ... I did not choose to be born in Iran. I did not choose Farsi as my mother tongue. No one can ask me why I was born there or why I speak that language. That part of my identity was given to me. My Estonianness, however modest or evolving it may be, is a choice, writes Arashk Azizi.

20.02.26 OPINION ... Compared with wealthier countries, where food accounts for a smaller share of total spending, price movements have a proportionally greater impact on Estonian families and are reflected more quickly in consumer behavior, writes Nele Peil.

19.02.26 OPINION ... On the eve of Independence Day, one must admit that our national dishes are rather hard to digest — and at times, so too is our own state, even if we manage, with great effort, to swallow the steady stream of irritating news arriving day after day, writes Kaupo Meiel.

18.02.26 OPINION ... When storms rip off roofs, it is reassuring to know the foundation and walls still stand firm — as they seem to be in the transatlantic ties, writes Social Democrats MP Raimond Kaljulaid.

18.02.26 OPINION ... Estonia's foreign policy has never been naive idealism, nor has it been or ever can be cynical power politics driven solely by self-interest. The foundation of Estonia's foreign policy has been and must remain values-based realism, writes Marko Mihkelson.

17.02.26 OPINION ... Estonia's foreign and security policy is not a tool of day-to-day politics but in itself a matter of national survival, Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu said.

17.02.26 OPINION ... Just as a cyclist first tries to compensate for fading drive by shifting gears and pedaling faster, so too have we sought to treat concerns about education with internal reforms — but more and more people in the field now want to get off the bike, assess the situation clearly and fix the chain, writes Jaak Aaviksoo.

17.02.26 OPINION ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna said in a speech, outlining the main priorities and objectives of Estonia's foreign policy, that today we are no longer speaking of the end of an era in abstract terms, but of an era having come to an end.

16.02.26 OPINION ... Sweden's desire to ease overcrowding in its prisons is understandable, but we must be aware of the kind of group that will be arriving in Estonia and the risks they pose, says Lasse Liikane, who has worked in the prison system for nearly 35 years.

16.02.26 OPINION ... The widespread use of electronic cigarettes, known as vaping, among minors has become a concern which cannot be ignored, writes educator Brit Mesipuu.

16.02.26 OPINION ... Over the past year, global market prices for several key food commodities have fallen significantly, yet that decline is not reflected nearly as clearly on price tags in our grocery stores. As a consumer, that is hard to understand; as an economist, it is even harder to justify, writes Ardo Hansson.

14.02.26 OPINION ... The combined support of the governing parties has remained at around 15 percent for quite some time and attacking the president in such a situation was a very short-sighted move. The president's reputation did not suffer as a result, but the reputations of the ministers and the governing parties involved likely did, Martin Mölder writes in his daily commentary on Vikerraadio.

13.02.26 OPINION ... When we close one door, fraudsters immediately begin looking for a new window and adjust their schemes to bypass the latest security solution. That is why we must always remain vigilant, because criminals adapt faster than we would like, writes Margus Nõlvak.

12.02.26 OPINION ... January brought unexpectedly high electricity bills to many Estonian households and businesses. This was not the result of a random week of market volatility, but rather the combined effect of broader and deeper factors. Cold weather, a regional shortage of generation capacity and heavy reliance on imported electricity drove a rapid price increase — felt most acutely by those whose homes are heated with electricity and who are on market-based pricing packages, writes Juhan Aguraiuja.

11.02.26 OPINION ... The development of artificial intelligence is transforming not only technology, but also business, education, work and social relations as a whole. Right now, we are at a turning point similar to the one more than 25 years ago, writes Kirke Maar.

11.02.26 OPINION ... Tallinn's education system faces two major problems: schools and kindergartens in poor condition and a shortage of available places in areas that have seen rapid residential development over the past couple of decades, writes Madle Lippus.

11.02.26 OPINION ... Based on Ukraine's experience, the most significant aerial threats come from glide bombs and long-range attack drones. With existing technology and resources, Estonia could reach a defense capability comparable to Ukraine's, but we must prepare for a far greater scale of attacks than previous theories and assessments have anticipated, write Martin Herem and Riivo Piirson.

10.02.26 OPINION ... Discussions about a European Union envoy to the US-Russia-Ukraine peace talks lack a realistic understanding of what the special representative could or should achieve, writes Kristi Raik, director of the Tallinn-based International Center of Defense and Security.

10.02.26 OPINION ... Russia has no intention of militarily attacking Estonia or a NATO member in the coming year, but Moscow's calculations of the balance of power must always work to our advantage, writes Kaupo Rosin, director general of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, in the introduction to the 2026 yearbook.

09.02.26 OPINION ... Crossing the frozen Gulf of Riga is embedded in the muscle memory of Kihnu residents — an expected, familiar and natural event. It's also a unifying force for the community, marked by active movement and constant exchange of information on this pressing topic, writes Mare Mätas.

07.02.26 OPINION ... What does it take to become Estonian? After nearly two decades of learning the language, immersing in traditions and contributing to local life, American-born William Buescher asks whether love for Estonia and deep cultural understanding are enough or is national identity reserved only for those born into it.

07.02.26 OPINION ... Over the past two years, euro zone imports from China have grown by more than a third in volume, wrote Bank of Estonia Governor Madis Müller.

06.02.26 OPINION ... If Ida-Viru County's highway connections remain significantly worse than those of Tartu and Pärnu, it will hinder business development and with it, the growth of the entire region, writes Erik Gamzejev.