In Estonia, voting rights of 72,000 Russian-speaking inhabitants revoked

In Estonia, the voting rights of 72,000 Russian-speaking inhabitants have been revoked. This change is the result of amendments to the legislation enacted in the spring of 2025.

According to these new laws, authorities have barred citizens of third countries who hold Estonian residence permits from participating in local elections. Most of these individuals are nationals of Russia and Belarus. Notably, the vast majority of those who lost their voting rights are residents of Tallinn. Meanwhile, so-called stateless persons—holders of gray passports—will retain their right to vote.