The Parliament of Estonia (Riijikogu) has approved amendments to the Constitution, which deprive citizens of Russia and Belarus of the right to vote in local elections. About this informs edition of ERR.
93 deputies supported the decision, seven spoke against it. Amendments to the Constitution require a two-thirds majority — at least 68 votes.
Initially, the draft law provided that citizens of Estonia, stateless persons, as well as citizens of EU and NATO countries can participate in local elections. The new edition excludes third-country nationals residing in Estonia from this list. In addition, stateless people will lose this right after the next local elections.
Elections are scheduled for October 2025. The amendments also provide for the exclusion of voting rights for citizens of NATO countries. Thus, citizens of Estonia, EU countries and stateless persons will vote in the upcoming elections, but from the next election cycle only citizens of Estonia and the EU will vote.
According to current legislation, participation in local elections in Estonia is allowed to citizens of the country, citizens of the EU, as well as foreigners with long-term or permanent residence rights who have reached the age of 16 on the day of voting and have permanent registration in a specific settlement.
We will remind that on January 14 in Estonia, the conservative Isamaa party initiated a draft law, according to which the parliament should instruct the government to close the border with Russia.
