20.08.25 NEWS ... Support for the opposition Center Party in Tallinn rose by 2.1 percentage points over the past two weeks, according to a recent survey, published exactly two months before the local elections in Estonia.

19.08.25 NEWS ... Andrus Ansip, a founding member of the Reform Party and former prime minister, told "Vikerhommik" that the party's slump in support stems from poor decisions inherited from the governments of Jüri Ratas and Kaja Kallas. Ansip compared the recent power struggle in Tallinn to a marriage, saying the stronger partner cannot publicly berate the other.

18.08.25 NEWS ... Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) believes that Estonia should not accept EU quota refugees from Southern Europe, but instead contribute to resolving the migration crisis with financial support and Estonian experts.

18.08.25 NEWS ... All seven Estonian MEPs are expected to be running in October's local elections, and four are already confirmed. The clear focus is on Tallinn.

18.08.25 NEWS ... The Estonian government faces a three-way choice this autumn between accepting 79 refugees, sending experts to southern European states to aid with the refugee situation, or to pay a fine of €1.7 million.

16.08.25 NEWS ... The Reform Party on Saturday unveiled its full candidate list for Tallinn, led in Haabersti by businessman Urmas Sõõrumaa, and rolled out its platform ahead of the local elections — promising faster building permits, funding for kids' extracurriculars, and a new high-tech industrial park in Lasnamäe.

16.08.25 NEWS ... Support for current Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) fell to a record low of just 5 percent in an August poll commissioned by Delfi and conducted by Turu-uuringute AS — trailing other party leaders by a wide margin.

15.08.25 NEWS ... The local elections are taking place this autumn, and in the past, political parties have avoided seriously competing with the Center Party in Tallinn's largest electoral district, Lasnamäe. But this year, Chairman Mihhail Kõlvart will face stronger rivals than before.

15.08.25 NEWS ... MEP, former foreign minister and seasoned diplomat Marina Kaljurand will run as the Social Democratic Party's lead candidate in Lasnamäe District in this fall's Tallinn local elections, backing Jevgeni Ossinovski's bid to continue as mayor of the Estonian capital.

15.08.25 NEWS ... One of the leaders of the Koos party Aivo Peterson, who is on trial for treason, plans to run in the upcoming local elections in Tallinn, according to his party colleagues. Under the law, Peterson can still participate if he is found guilty in September.

14.08.25 NEWS ... Similar to a recent Norstat survey, the poll released Thursday by Turu-uuringute AS also shows the ruling Reform Party's rating falling to a record low of 10 percent — the same level of support that the non-parliamentary Parempoolsed (Right-Wingers) received in August.

14.08.25 NEWS ... Political wrangling between Estonian politicians over the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) use of automatic license plate recognition cameras has hindered a real-life missing persons investigation, Virumaa Teataja reported, as using valuable surveillance camera data is now off the table.

13.08.25 NEWS ... Estonia on Wednesday expelled a Russian diplomat for activities connected to "undermining the constitutional order and legal system of Estonia" and "dividing Estonian society," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

12.08.25 NEWS ... Several former prime ministers of Estonia gathered on Toompea on Tuesday for the traditional annual lunch held ahead of next week's Restoration of Independence Day.

13.08.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of Justice wants to make joining a national data tracker mandatory for state databases. At the moment data can only be requested via the tracker from 16 state databases.

13.08.25 NEWS ... Support for the governing coalition in Estonia, currently made up of the Reform Party and Eesti 200, is at an all-time low according to one recent poll, and lies just below the rating of the lowest-polling opposition party.

12.08.25 NEWS ... The author of a citizens' initiative to reduce the value-added tax rate on food products, Jana Guzanova, is running in the local government elections for a seat on the Tallinn City Council on the Center Party's list.

12.08.25 NEWS ... With a little over two months to go until the local elections in Estonia, campaigning is gaining momentum. In Tallinn, the polls are suggesting the Center Party will be the largest single party by votes in a city it once dominated, but not enough to stop a broader "rainbow coalition" from keeping it out of office.

11.08.25 NEWS ... The state Health Insurance Fund's (Tervisekassa) budget deficit had been known about for many years, and politicians and experts have called for an overhaul in its financing model to cover the shortfall, which is partly the result of a falling population and also costlier newer treatments.

09.08.25 NEWS ... Prime Minister and Reform Party chair Kristen Michal's recent suggestion to drop next year's planned income tax hike lacks support from coalition partner Eesti 200. Opposition parties see it as more preelection maneuvering.

09.08.25 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) on Saturday reiterated Estonia's support for Belarusians in their struggle for freedom and democracy on the fifth anniversary of the "fraudulent" presidential election held in Belarus on August 9, 2020.

08.08.25 NEWS ... Scrapping next year's planned income tax increase would increase the state budget deficit by between €250 million and €290 million per year, data from the Ministry of Finance shows. Canceling the car tax or introducing a VAT exemption for food would cost the state less.

08.08.25 NEWS ... Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) Director Rain Laane will resign following the revelation that the agency held a summer gathering for staff costing tens of thousands of euros. Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller (Reform) made the announcement on Friday.

08.08.25 NEWS ... While the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) moved into new office space in Tallinn at the end of last year, the majority of staff work remotely.

07.08.25 NEWS ... Canceling next year's income tax hike will have negative impacts, including leaving the country's poor to shoulder the burden of paying for national defense, said Lauri Läänemets, chair of the opposition SDE party. He supports lowering VAT on food.

07.08.25 NEWS ... Opposition leaders are split over calls for Minister of Social Protection Karmen Joller (Reform) to resign following the Estonian Health Insurance Fund's (EHIF) recent costly summer retreat. Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu says she should step down; Social Democratic Party (SDE) deputy chair Tanel Kiik disagrees.

07.08.25 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said if the state receives more tax revenue than forecast, the government may reduce the next income tax rise in 2026. There is still no will among ministers to reduce VAT on food.

07.08.25 NEWS ... Non-parliamentary party Parempoolsed's top candidate in the upcoming local elections will be party leader and former prosecutor general Lavly Perling.

06.08.25 NEWS ... Estonian President Alar Karis on Wednesday said the "catastrophic humanitarian crisis" in Gaza cannot be the price of fighting terrorism and called for the media to have access to the warzone to document the truth, during a meeting with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog.

06.08.25 NEWS ... According to Urmas Sõõrumaa, during Tallinn's recent power crisis, he received authorization from the Reform Party's Tallinn regional board to enter into negotiations with the Center Party as a mayoral candidate.

06.08.25 NEWS ... Health Insurance Fund Director Rain Laane said he regrets that thanking employees offends the public's sense of justice after the media published reports that the state agency held an event that could have cost up to €100,000. He believes there is a possible political agenda behind the stories.

06.08.25 NEWS ... The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) considers Isamaa their main competitor at this autumn's local elections, adding that despite this, the two parties could form a conservative bloc in Tallinn.

06.08.25 NEWS ... Prime Minister and Reform Party chairman Kristen Michal has recommended the management of the Health Fund (Tervisekassa) have a reshuffle of positions due to transparency concerns in the wake of the agency's summer day event, held at a plush hotel in South Estonia.

06.08.25 NEWS ... The backlash over the Health Insurance Fund's (Tervisekassa) lavish summer party held at a South Estonian spa hotel will be dealt with at a board meeting, Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller (Reform) said.

06.08.25 NEWS ... Riigikogu MP Varro Vooglaid (EKRE) says despite repeated requests, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) have not sent him license plate camera photos of him driving his car, in which he said his face is not obscured.

06.08.25 NEWS ... A fall in support for the coalition Reform Party has stopped, according to a recent survey, which also shows Isamaa retaining a strong over 10 percentage-point lead over the Center Party and the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE).

06.08.25 NEWS ... Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller (Reform) should resign after media reports revealed a summer event hosted by the cash-strapped Health Insurance Fund (Tervisakassa) that may have cost over €100,000, Center Party leader Mihhail Kõlvart said.

05.08.25 NEWS ... Riina Solman, head of Isamaa's Tallinn branch, announced that she has asked party leader Urmas Reinsalu to run as the party's mayoral candidate in the upcoming local elections in Tallinn this October.

05.08.25 NEWS ... According to a survey commissioned by the NGO Institute for Societal Studies and conducted by pollster Norstat Estonia, representatives of other parties are least in favor of a coalition in Tallinn between the Center Party and EKRE. At the same time, Center is the only party whose cooperation is not immediately ruled out by supporters of any other political party.

05.08.25 NEWS ... President Isaac Herzog of Israel is to pay an official visit to Estonia on Wednesday, when he will be received by President Alar Karis at Kadriorg.

04.08.25 NEWS ... The Riigikogu's Constitutional Committee decided on Monday to back processing an act whose aim is to prevent churches acting as agents on behalf of foreign powers.

04.08.25 NEWS ... On Sunday, Züleyxa Izmailova (SDE), a member of the Riigikogu, made a social media post targeting Russians. She has since deleted the post and apologized for her poor choice of words.

03.08.25 NEWS ... In the upcoming local elections this October, in addition to political parties, electoral alliances will also be participating and their candidate lists include members of political parties. EKRE is the only party that does not permit its members to run on an electoral alliance list.

02.08.25 NEWS ... A little over two months remain until the local elections, and the first organizational procedures have already begun across the country. Candidate's place of residence had to be registered by Friday.

01.08.25 NEWS ... Board chair of supermarket chain Coop Rainer Rohtla has rejected Prime Minister Kristen Michal's (Reform) recent claim that an excess of retail space is behind high food prices in Estonia, adding that this only applies to a small extent in some of the more populous areas of the country, and is not a general rule.

01.08.25 NEWS ... A new bill banning the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras for traffic monitoring passed its first reading on Thursday.

01.08.25 NEWS ... Estonia's top politicians welcomed the Ukrainian government and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision on Thursday to restore the independence of the country's anti-corruption investigative agencies.

01.08.25 NEWS ... A political campaigning ad which appeared on the Reform Party's social media page Wednesday, criticizing Isamaa's stance regarding the Center Party, was by Thursday no longer visible on social media.

31.07.25 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said on Thursday that Estonia does not plan to recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly taking place in September.

30.07.25 NEWS ... A bill to enshrine and define the Song and Dance Festival is currently being debated by the Riigikogu. Politicians are split, but choir and dance leaders support the new legislation.