The Estonian authorities are preparing to take a step that could significantly affect the political life of Ukrainians living in Estonia. Find out more about the draft law being developed by the Estonian government

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The Estonian government is preparing a bill that would allow Ukrainians living in the country to vote in local elections, just like residents from other friendly countries. This was reported by Hendrik Terras, the head of the Constitutional Committee of the Estonian Parliament and a representative of the Estonia 200 coalition party, in a commentary for the Estonian television and radio company ERR.

The initiative reflects the desire of the Estonian authorities to include Ukrainian citizens in the list of foreigners allowed to participate in local elections.

We explained why Ukrainian refugees are actively starting businesses in Estonia in our previous article.

Ukrainian citizens will be able to vote in Estonian local elections: what is known

The bill aims to clearly define who among foreign residents of Estonia will have the right to vote in local elections.

According to Terrace, these will be Estonian citizens, as well as citizens of NATO countries, the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and countries with which Estonia will conclude bilateral agreements guaranteeing the right to vote in local elections and which will be ratified by the parliament (Riigikogu). Although there are no such agreements yet, the possibility of concluding such an agreement with Ukraine is being studied.

Mr. Terras also noted that the Ukrainian diaspora in Estonia is significant, so granting Ukrainians the right to vote is an important step for the development of relations between the two countries.

Constitutional aspects and political discussions

The implementation of this provision must comply with the Estonian Constitution, and therefore the legal side of the project is being carefully considered. The issue will be discussed by the coalition parties early next week, and the bill may be submitted to parliament on Wednesday.

The initiative to expand the circle of residents eligible to vote in local elections arose amid discussions of another important issue: the deprivation of the right to vote in local elections for russian and Belarusian citizens permanently residing in Estonia.

This issue is actively supported by Prime Minister Kristen Mihal, leader of the Reform Party. He believes that constitutional amendments should be adopted as soon as possible so that in a year's time, citizens of russia and Belarus will not be able to influence the results of local elections in the country.

The importance of Ukrainian-Estonian relations

The inclusion of Ukrainians in the list of residents with the right to vote is an important element in strengthening bilateral relations between Estonia and Ukraine. It not only shows support for the Ukrainian diaspora in Estonia, but also demonstrates Estonia's openness to cooperation with friendly states that share European values and strategic partnership with the EU and NATO.

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