In Estonia, citizens of Russia and Belarus will lose the right to vote in local elections
The Estonian Parliament (Photo: Toms Kalnins/EPA)
On Wednesday, March 26, the parliament of Estonia decided to amend the Constitution to revoke the voting rights of citizens from Russia and Belarus in local elections, as reported by broadcaster ERR.
Under the new provisions, holders of “gray passports” will still be allowed to vote in the upcoming local elections, but this will be their final opportunity. A total of 93 members of the Estonian parliament supported the amendments, surpassing the required 68 votes for approval.
Initially, the proposed legislation permitted participation in local council elections for Estonian citizens, stateless individuals, and citizens from EU and NATO countries. However, an amendment was introduced stipulating that the voting rights of third-country nationals living in Estonia and stateless persons would be regarded as invalid starting from the next elections.
Stateless residents are still eligible to vote in this year’s local elections. Advocates of the proposal argue that this allows stateless individuals ample time to apply for Estonian citizenship and engage in future local elections as citizens of the nation. The amendment also removed the voting rights for citizens of NATO member countries.
Consequently, only citizens of Estonia and other EU nations will be able to participate in the next local elections in the country.
Furthermore, the parliament endorsed the Constitutional Commission’s recommendation to treat the amendment as urgent. This initiative received support from 92 parliamentarians, while seven opposed it.
Previously, apart from Estonian and EU citizens, foreign residents holding long-term or permanent residency permits, who were at least 16 years old on election day and whose primary residence was in the relevant municipality or city, could take part in local elections.
The upcoming local council elections in Estonia are scheduled for October 19.
- On March 20, 2025, the Estonian Parliament rejected the bill proposing to close the border with Russia.
- On March 22, it was announced that Estonia plans to procure military assistance for Ukraine valued at 100 million euros from its defense sector.
