On Wednesday, March 26, the Estonian Parliament decided to amend the country’s Constitution in an expedited manner, revoking the right to vote for citizens of third countries, including Russia and Belarus, in municipal elections, as reported by ERR.
According to the amendments, individuals without citizenship, known as "grey passport" holders, will still be able to vote in the fall 2025 elections. However, they will lose this right afterward.
The Constitutional change was approved by 92 MPs, with 7 voting against. To pass the constitutional amendments, 4/5 of the MPs present at the session, meaning 81 members, were required to support it.
The final vote on the bill to amend the Constitution passed with 93 votes in favor and 7 against. To adopt such a law, the support of 2/3 of the parliamentary body was needed.
Municipal elections in Estonia will take place on October 19.
Before this law, foreign residents with long-term or permanent residence permits who were 16 years old or older on the election day could participate in local elections, alongside Estonian citizens and citizens of EU member states.
