Estonian parties on language, schools and citizenship

Since 2024 Russian-language kindergartens and schools in Estonia have been switching to teaching in Estonian; the law says the transition must be complete by 2030. A 2025 constitutional amendment removed the right to vote in local elections from citizens of non-EU countries, and later from stateless people. Tens of thousands of residents still have undetermined citizenship (the "grey passport"). All seven parties in the test have positions on these questions, and they differ markedly.

One caveat. In the Riigikogu election on 7 March 2027, only Estonian citizens who are 18 on election day can vote. People living in Estonia with another citizenship (including Russian citizens) and people with no citizenship do not vote in this election (more about the election). Anyone can take the test and compare their views with the parties' positions.

Below are the parties' positions on the seven statements of the topic "Language and integration", each based on a party manifesto, vote or statement. An asterisk (*) marks an estimated position: the party has made no direct statement, and the position is inferred from what else it has said.

The parties' positions

The test asks the topic's two other statements only to tell apart parties with similar results. They are covered at the end of the article:

Schools switching to Estonian

"All schooling should switch to Estonian by 2030, including in schools where most pupils speak Russian." The transition has been under way since 2024. The debate is about the pace, the shortage of teachers and whether to keep mother-tongue lessons.

This is the only statement on the topic that no party opposes and, as the analysis of where the parties agree and disagree shows, the only one in the whole test. Reformierakond, EKRE, Eesti 200, Isamaa and Parempoolsed are strongly for, SDE is for, and Keskerakond is neutral.

• Reformierakond: its 2023 manifesto says all general education will be in Estonian from 2030, when the state will fund only Estonian-language schools (manifesto, p. 30).
• SDE: its 2023 manifesto says all children, whatever their home language, should study together in Estonian-language schools; it backs the transition, with the legal exceptions and mother-tongue classes (manifesto, p. 10).
• Keskerakond opposed the full switch to Estonian-language schooling in 2023; in 2025 it accepts it, but wants the teacher shortage solved and pupils' mother tongue and identity preserved (2025 platform, p. 11).
• Parempoolsed criticises Tallinn for letting 20 schools keep teaching in Russian (parempoolsed.ee, 14.05.2026).

Citizenship for people living in Estonia since before 1991

"It should be easier for people who have lived in Estonia since before 1991 to obtain Estonian citizenship." After independence was restored, people who arrived in the Soviet era and their descendants had to pass exams in Estonian and the Constitution to become citizens.

Only Keskerakond is strongly for: its party programme says people who lived in Estonia before 1991 should get citizenship through a simplified procedure (programme). Eesti 200 and SDE are neutral, Reformierakond and Parempoolsed are against, and EKRE and Isamaa are strongly against.

• Eesti 200: in 2026 its group backed its interior minister's bill granting citizenship to stateless children born in Estonia, while requiring applicants to have a genuine link with the country (Riigikogu vote).
• SDE: its 2023 manifesto eases citizenship for children born in Estonia to long-term residents, but proposes nothing for adults who have lived here since before 1991.
• Isamaa: in 2026 its parliamentary group leader opposed making citizenship easier to obtain, saying the current law already lets everyone who wants it become a citizen (Eesti Uudised).
• EKRE: in 2026 its MPs voted to reject the same bill; its principles treat stateless residents as Russian citizens.

Estonian in customer service

"People who work with customers should be required to speak Estonian, with higher fines if they do not." The Language Act already requires customer service to be provided in Estonian. The government has proposed changes that raise the fines for breaking this rule.

EKRE and Isamaa are strongly for. Isamaa's 2023 manifesto proposes extra Estonian-language requirements in customer service and raising the penalty payment for breaches to €9,600 (manifesto, p. 7); in 2023 EKRE's parliamentary group tabled a bill sharply raising fines for breaching the Language Act. In 2026 Eesti 200 voted for the language law reform drafted by its leader's ministry, which tightens inspections and raises fines for companies that breach language requirements (Riigikogu vote). Reformierakond and Parempoolsed support Estonian in customer service but say nothing about fines.

SDE's position is estimated and neutral: its leader believes Estonian should be required in every job but warned against haste, and the party stresses free language classes. Keskerakond is against: it prefers offering free Estonian courses tailored to each occupation (2023 platform).

Churches and the Moscow Patriarchate

"Churches in Estonia should be required to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate." In 2025 the Riigikogu passed changes to the Churches and Congregations Act banning churches in Estonia from being subordinate to a foreign religious centre that threatens security, with the Moscow Patriarchate in mind. Critics say they restrict religious freedom.

The parliamentary groups of Reformierakond, Eesti 200, SDE and Isamaa voted for the changes, and those of EKRE and Keskerakond against (ERR). So the first four are strongly for and EKRE and Keskerakond strongly against. EKRE's leader said the law violates freedom of religion (ERR). Parempoolsed's position is estimated as for: its stance on the law is unknown; it wants to curb Russian influence in society, but its principles stress religious freedom.

Dual citizenship with EU and NATO countries

"Estonian citizens should be allowed to also hold the citizenship of another EU or NATO country." The law generally does not allow Estonians to hold another citizenship, although citizens by birth cannot be stripped of Estonian citizenship. There is a debate about allowing it for allied countries, for Estonians living abroad.

• Eesti 200, strongly for: in May 2026 its council approved the position that Estonian citizens by birth should be able to keep the citizenship of another EU or NATO country without having to choose (eesti200.ee).
• Reformierakond, for: its coalition agreement commissions a study on how Estonian citizens by birth can keep their link with Estonia while also holding citizenship of another EU or NATO country (coalition agreement, p. 8).
• Keskerakond, for: its 2023 programme proposes allowing multiple citizenship with EU and EFTA countries.
• Parempoolsed, for (estimated): it does not address dual citizenship, but calls for an active diaspora policy and for encouraging Estonians to return.
• SDE, neutral (estimated): it has not taken a stand on dual citizenship with allied countries.
• EKRE, against: its principles provide for revoking citizenship from those naturalised without giving up their previous one; no stance was found on Estonians by birth.
• Isamaa, strongly against: its 2023 manifesto opposes allowing multiple citizenship and makes no exception for allied countries (manifesto, p. 14).

Two additional statements

These statements are not part of the main test: they are asked when several parties get similar results, to tell them apart.

"Residents who are not EU citizens should get back the right to vote in local elections." A 2025 constitutional amendment removed the right to vote in local elections from citizens of non-EU countries, such as Russia and Belarus, and later from stateless people. Only Keskerakond is strongly for: in 2025 its group was the only one to vote against the amendment (ERR). SDE is against: it voted for the amendment and does not propose restoring the vote. Parempoolsed is against: its principles say citizens of unfree countries must not vote in local elections on a par with Estonian and EU citizens. Reformierakond, EKRE, Eesti 200 and Isamaa are strongly against: all four backed the amendment.

"The state should remove all monuments glorifying the Soviet occupation from public spaces, even if the local municipality objects." After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 many Soviet monuments were removed, but some remain because the municipality or the owner does not want them removed; a 2023 law that would have allowed the state to do so never came into force. Reformierakond, EKRE, SDE and Isamaa voted for that law and are strongly for; Eesti 200 and Parempoolsed (estimated) are for. Keskerakond is against: it voted against the law, and in 2025 its leader said that if the state sees no problem, the municipality has the right to decide (ERR).

Which parties are closest on this topic

To compare the parties pair by pair, we added up the gaps between their positions on the five statements of the main test. Zero would mean identical positions throughout; the maximum is 20. Estimated positions count the same as the others.

Reformierakond and Parempoolsed are closest: they differ by one point, only on churches, where Parempoolsed's position is estimated. Keskerakond and Isamaa are furthest apart, differing by three points or more on four of the five statements. Keskerakond stands apart on this topic in general: its gap with the other parties ranges from 9 (with SDE) to 16, while none of the other six parties are more than 10 apart from each other.

EKRE and Isamaa take the same position on schools, citizenship and the language of customer service, but split on churches. EKRE and Keskerakond, at opposite ends of the scale on citizenship, both voted against the churches law.

Read more

• All the statements on the topic, with sources: "Language and integration".
• The parties' positions on every statement in the test: party comparison.
• Party pages: Reformierakond, EKRE, Keskerakond, Eesti 200, SDE, Isamaa, Parempoolsed.
• Find out which party is closest to your views across all topics: take the test.