The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) has adopted amendments to the Constitution to deprive aliens and stateless persons permanently residing in the country of the right to vote in municipal elections, the country’s public broadcaster ERR reported on 26 March.
The next municipal elections will be held in Estonia in October 2025. According to the adopted law, people without Estonian citizenship will still be able to vote in these elections, but will be deprived of this right afterwards.
The changes will affect, in particular, citizens of Russia and Belarus. Now 67 thousand citizens of Russia live in Estonia, who can vote in local elections, but have no right to run for local government.
Kale Laanet, head of the Estonian Justice Ministry, which prepared the document, expressed the opinion that the restriction could become an incentive for foreigners living in the country to learn the state language and pass the citizenship test.
“We really believe that citizens of this state (Russia – ed.) should not have the opportunity and right to participate in the elections of Estonia’s political leadership,” Laanet said.
Helir-Valdor Seeder, chairman of the Isamaa (Batkivshchyna) faction, citing a recent survey commissioned by the State Chancellery, pointed out that 38 per cent of Russian citizens and 52 per cent of people with undetermined citizenship living in Estonia did not condemn Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Such people should not play a role in decisions affecting Estonian life,” he added.
Before the law was passed, in addition to Estonian citizens, aliens living in Estonia on the basis of a long-term permit or permanent right of residence, who had reached the age of 16 by election day and had a permanent place of residence in the relevant municipality or town could participate in local elections.