Following the decision by Estonian schools to stop teaching in Russian, Estonia has banned Russian-speaking minorities from participating in local elections.

Estonian President signed an amendment to the constitution on Wednesday, which will prevent Russian-speaking minorities and non-EU citizens from taking part in local elections. The Presidential Office stated that those affected by the bill should not feel excluded.

According to AFP reports, Russian-speaking minorities and other non-EU citizens in Estonia will no longer be able to participate in local elections. The country's President, Kaljulaid, signed the relevant constitutional amendment on Wednesday. The bill was passed by a landslide majority in parliament at the end of March.

"Should not feel excluded"

The Presidential Office of Estonia said that prohibiting third-country citizens from participating in local elections is to "protect the unity of Estonian society". However, those affected by this constitutional amendment - including approximately 80,000 ethnic Russians residing in the country - should not feel excluded or believe they are merely seen as a security threat by Estonia.

According to the Estonian Constitution, foreign citizens with permanent residency can participate in local elections even without Estonian citizenship. National elections such as parliamentary elections have never allowed non-Estonian citizens to participate, and this remains unaffected by the constitutional amendment.

AFP pointed out that this constitutional amendment in the Baltic coastal state was carried out against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and increasing regional concerns about national security. Like Latvia, Estonia also has a large number of Russian-speaking minorities. They worry that Moscow may exploit this situation to incite internal conflicts within these countries, undermining their stability.

Estonian Schools No Longer Teach in Russian

In the past, Russian children living in Estonia could attend schools where Russian was the medium of instruction. However, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Estonian government implemented reforms requiring all primary and secondary schools to use Estonian for teaching.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829303192876108/

Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views.