Estonia deprives 80,000 Russians the right to vote - security risks in focus!
Estonia deprives 80,000 Russians the right to vote - security risks in focus!
Tallinn, Estland - On April 9, 2025, the Estonian parliament in Tallinn decided to change a major constitutional change that will abolish the municipal right to vote for Russian citizens in Estonia. Around 80,000 Russians who live in Estonia and have so far been able to take part in local elections are affected by this reform, even though they do not have Estonian citizenship. This decision goes back to the growing security concerns that have prevailed in the Baltic States since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. Kleine Zeitung reports that the Estonian government sees this measure to prevent possible influence in Estonia.
The president's consent is necessary so that the reform can come into force. The Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who also supports the change in his role as EU foreign officers, emphasized that citizens of attacking countries should not have any influence on the internal affairs of Estonia. Deutschlandfunk notes that such measures are justified from the perspective of the Estonian government.
reform and its effects
The constitutional change not only aims at the abolition of the right to vote, but is also part of a more comprehensive policy against the Russian minority in Estonia. Further measures include the planned changeover of Russian -speaking schools to class in Estonian until 2029 and the need for teachers to learn the Estonian language or to lose their positions. These measures arouse resistance, especially in cities like Narva, where over 90 % of the population speaks Russian. Parents and students see this an attack on their cultural identity, while the government argues that the reform promotes integration. tkp emphasizes that critics could warn of alienation that would destabilize the social balance.
In addition to the changes in the education system, from March 31, 2025, Russian passports without biometric data will no longer be accepted at the borders. This further measure supports the assessment that the Estonian government is determined to restrict the rights of the Russian minority and to emphasize its own national security.
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