Also, the Internal Security Service (ISS) would under SDE’s proposal be granted the powers to strike off from the electoral roll individuals deemed “undesirable”.
SDE chair and Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said that this would likely result in two-thirds of Russian, Belarusian, and so-called “gray passport” holders not being able to take part in local elections.
Under current law, all third-country (non-EU/EEA) nationals who are long-term registered residents in Estonia can vote in local government elections, the next of which are a year away.
Läänemets gave an interview to ERR which follows.
Lauri Läänemets, I understand that SDE have promised their coalition partners that you are to develop your own proposal on Russian and Belarusian citizens’ local elections voting rights?
We have agreed with our coalition partners that we will present our own proposal on how to address the issue of taking part in local elections. And this to be done in such a way that those who might have security concerns or might have a negative attitude towards Estonia would not take part in these elections.
On the other hand, those who do have a positive attitude towards Estonia will be permitted to vote. These individuals include representatives of Russia’s opposition, who cannot simply renounce their Russian passports and citizenship, as Russia does not permit them to do so.
The Russian regime requires them to go to Russia, where they would then be arrested and jailed.
But in their sentiment they think much the same way we do, so for them, Putin’s regime is every bit as much a problem as it is for us.
So, what is SDE’s proposal?
The proposal would be as follows: In addition to the regular electoral lists, we could create a foreign nationals’ electoral roll, for local elections. Meaning including all foreign nationals who are permanent residents in Estonia.
By law, “gray passport” holders are also considered foreign nationals.
The list would be similar to those used at European Parliament elections: There a separate list of foreign nationals is also set up so, for example, if a French citizen resides permanently in Estonia, they can register and vote in European Parliament elections on Estonian territory.
The logic being that all foreign nationals with permanent and long-term residence permits in Estonia who wish to take part in the elections have to register as voters.
This means they would affirm their understanding of the Estonian Constitution, and adherence to Estonia’s constitutional order. This procedure would be exactly the same as is required for individuals applying for Estonian citizenship.
How would law enforcement then decide who to allow to vote and who not?
This decision is not a political one. Procedures would be established for law enforcement agencies, requiring them to justify and provide proof that that [hostile act towards Estonia – ed.] had occurred.
However, we do not expect the ISS to go through all the foreign residents living in Estonia. Vice versa – when something is identified, it would be possible to exclude that person from the electoral list.
We certainly have quite a few individuals whose sentiments and actions are already known to us.
The requirement to register as a voter is also very important here. Those individuals who, for example, want to travel to Russia or look more towards Russia than they do towards the West or to Estonia are unlikely to sign this declaration. Many likely have their own fears.
For instance, if Russia finds out they have signed a similar [condemnation of the war – ed.], they would likely face problems relating to Russia.
At present we estimate that with the introduction of a registered list like this, about a third of Russian and Belarusian citizens [resident in Estonia] may go out to vote. These people would most likely be those who already have a positive attitude towards Estonia.
An 85-year-old lady who stays at home and goes about her own business is unlikely to pose much of a security concern. Also, we have quite a few cases where one parent is a Russian citizen, the other parent an Estonian citizen, so their child is also an Estonian citizen. It is very likely that people in these families too have a positive attitude toward Estonia, as indicated by the integration monitoring published in the spring.
The second aspect they would need to confirm, and the precise wording is not yet agreed on, but in principle they would need to condemn Russian aggression and recognize Estonian sovereignty. This, too, they would have to formally declare.
Third, there should be a way to exclude individuals from this list on security grounds.
For example, if a person hasn’t committed any act which might result in their residence permit being revoked and their being deported from the country, yet has still displayed their sentiments — such as prominently displaying the letter “Z” somewhere. Or various other actions which law enforcement agencies have identified.
These law enforcement agencies would then be able to propose the exclusion of these specific named individuals from the electoral roll.
When people have met these conditions and there are no issues with them, they would be added to the electoral list and permitted to vote in local elections. All of this can be implemented soon, for the 2025 local elections, to the extent that the law fully allows it.
How would this whole procedure affect stateless individuals, or ‘gray passport’ holders?
Gray passport holders are also in legal terms considered foreign nationals, so this would all apply to them as well.
In other words, you estimate that a third of Russian and Belarusian citizens, as well as stateless individuals, would sign the declaration? Alongside this there would likely be a smaller number of people who law enforcement agencies would, as it were, have an interest in?
Yes, several filters would be coming into play here at the same time. The main question is however that there is no point in alienating anyone in Estonia simply due to their citizenship, particularly when we know they will be living here for many more decades to come. We need to be inclusive with these people.
There’s no point in creating extra problems in society – this is the rationale behind why we are proposing the solution in this way.
We have some towns, like Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, and Narva, where the electorate would significantly fall in local elections though?
Not only there, but it would certainly affect Tallinn too.
If we look closely at studies on the sentiments of Russian-speaking people, sometimes you find that individuals with more fervent attitudes actually live in Tallinn rather than in Ida-Viru County.
In Ida-Viru County, people cross the border more and so get to see that things in Russia aren’t always better or more appealing than they are in Estonia.
That people’s attitudes don’t strictly delineate along citizenship lines is also demonstrated by the integration monitoring as ordered by the Ministry of Culture this spring.
This was also evident at the last Riigikogu elections, where at least 20,000 people voted for Aivo Peterson plus a few other candidates who were clearly anti-western and pro-Putin.
I will reiterate – these voters at the Riigikogu elections were Estonian citizens, so attitude is certainly not tied solely to citizenship. This is also an issue we should address when we talk about local elections.
Undoubtedly this will also affect the results in local elections. For instance, in Tallinn, where the present coalition has only a narrow majority.
Indeed. It will certainly affect election outcomes elsewhere too. If I remember rightly, the Reform Party would benefit the most in Tallinn, followed by Isamaa.
However, voter support for the Center Party would fall. This calculation was made with the assumption that no Russian or Belarusian citizens would be permitted to take part in the elections.
Our proposal certainly isn’t based on that, though I recall that similar analysis was conducted on the proposal submitted to the Riigikogu by Isamaa.
What is your assessment of whether a proposal like this would do no disservice to the integration of Russian-speaking people into society?
No, it definitely won’t. This proposal doesn’t take away anyone’s right to vote. However, whether you go out to vote or not is up to you.
Naturally, some people, especially the elderly, might not go in for this registration, due to their age. Yes, I have to concede – that could happen. This is certainly one of the factors behind the number of foreign voters in local elections being likely to fall.
Why are you making this proposal now, in a situation where SDE wouldn’t benefit the most from it at elections? Also, in a situation where SDE have opposed stripping Russian and Belarusian citizens of their voting rights, arguing that to do so would negatively impact the integration of Russian-speaking people into Estonian society?
We have not been opposed to the logic that those who do not have a positive attitude toward Estonia should not be able to vote in local elections.
For us, the question has always been why we push people away who may hold citizenship of another country or hold a gray passport, yet who we know still have a positive attitude toward Estonia.
This has consistently been the question we have posed both to our partners and at the Riigikogu – how do we resolve this?
We oughtn’t to create a situation in Estonia where people who currently view Estonia positively then become embittered or disillusioned or feel like they have been pushed away, which in turn would make it easier for Russian propaganda to manipulate them.
There is a very important principle in the Constitution that all people have the capacity to take part in local life, but we must also consider the situation of the war here.
We have never denied that today’s wartime and security situation means that those who are not positively inclined toward Estonia should perhaps not get the right to take part in it.
Under current law, citizens of Estonia and of the EU, as well as other foreign nationals holding a long-term residence permit or permanent residence rights in Estonia, who are 16 years old on election day and have a permanent residence address listed in the Estonian population registry, may take part in local government elections.
The next local council elections will take place on October 19, 2025.
“Gray passport” holders refers to people registered ordinarily resident in Estonia but who do not hold the citizenship of any country. They are issued a travel document so-colored, to allow them to travel outside Estonia.
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