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Estonia has moved to bar non-EU citizens from voting in local elections, in a move that targets the country’s Russian and Belarusian population.<\/p>\n
The Estonian parliament voted in favour of a corresponding constitutional amendment on Wednesday, which was proposed in view of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The regulation must now be formally approved by President Alar Karis.<\/p>\n
According to data from the Interior Ministry, almost 80,000 Russian and around 2,700 Belarusian citizens have residency permits in Estonia.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Kristen Michal described the decision as a “joint victory” and a “very fundamental decision.”<\/p>\n
“In our local life, decisions are not made by the citizens of aggressor states, but in our own country we are the decision-makers, he wrote on X.<\/p>\n
Estonia shares a border with Russia and the Russian-speaking minority in the Baltic state make up around a quarter of its 1.2 million inhabitants.<\/p>\n
The next local elections in Estonia are scheduled to take place on October 19.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n