As Estonians head to the polls, nearly 72,000 people, mostly Russian speakers, have lost their right to vote. It's the first election since the country passed legislation excluding non-EU citizens from voting.

Narva

The Estonian Parliament has amended the constitution to strip non-EU residents of the right to vote in local elections. This change, approved by a large majority of lawmakers, specifically affects Russian and Belarusian citizens living in Estonia, particularly in border regions such as Narva. The decision comes amid heightened security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Estonia reinforcing its border and now tightening political participation rules.

More than 15,000 Narva residents holding Russian passports are now excluded from local voting, a reduction of about one third of the electorate in the area. The move has been criticized by some residents and opposition parties as discriminatory, while supporters argue that voting should be reserved for Estonian citizens. The debate highlights ongoing tensions in Estonia's Russian-speaking communities and the broader geopolitical context.

Estonia bans non-EU citizens from voting in local elections

The Estonian Parliament changing the constitution. In March, lawmakers stripped non-EU residents of the right to vote in local elections. Lawmakers approved it with an overwhelming majority, with a specific group in focus. If you have Estonian citizenship, if you live here, then you can decide on local matters. But if you're a Russian or Belarusian citizen, a citizen of terrorist states, in times like we have now, it's not good if citizens of other countries interfere with our local issues. For the local elections this week, we went to Narva, the centre of Estonia's Russian-speaking community. It's right on the border with Russia. This river separates Estonia from Russia. Since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has tightened up security on this bridge, adding new gate and roadblocks. Now the country is drawing a clear political line at home too, over who can vote in local elections. Holders of Estonian passports are eligible to vote as usual. But more than 15,000 Narva residents holding Russian passports are now excluded. That's a drop by one third. Many people we spoke to said the legislation is discriminatory. I'm strongly opposed to the war. It's outrageous. But why did they take this right away from me? It's just a pretext. Oppression is in full swing. I think it's not right, because they live here, they pay taxes, they're a part of society. This pressure that the Russians shouldn't vote, it's as if they are second-class citizens. Estonian Centre Party voted against excluding Russian voters. In Narva, it's one of the frontrunners. People are offended, and in general, they don't feel like they're a part of Estonia. Supporters of the new rules are rare here, and face an uphill battle. If you want to vote in Estonia, learn Estonian and apply for citizenship. It's all in people's heads. If someone wants to become a citizen, they do it. But for some, it's more convenient to remain a citizen of another country, so they can travel there more easily. In Narva, even in local elections, the neighbour Russia is still looming large.

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