What does Isamaa Erakond propose?

People who earn more should pay a higher rate of income tax.

Reasoning: It opposes raising the income tax rate but wants to keep the tapering tax-free allowance (the “tax hump”), under which higher earners pay proportionally more.

Source: Isamaa fraktsiooni eelnõu 680 SE «Maksurahu kehtestamise seadus» ja seletuskiri, 18.06.2025, 18/06/2025.

VAT on food should be cut, even if the state collects less money.

Reasoning: In 2025 its leader backed cutting VAT on food and some of its MPs voted for a 9% rate, although in 2023 the party considered the measure ineffective.

Source: ERR, 23.07.2025: Poliitikud jäävad toidukaupade käibemaksumäära langetamises eriarvamusele, 23/07/2025.

The annual car tax should be abolished.

Reasoning: Its 2025 local election manifesto promises to abolish the car tax once it is in national government, and its leader repeated the pledge in March 2026.

Source: Isamaa KOV2025 üldprogramm, lk 2, 03/09/2025.

A tax on expensive property should be introduced so that taxes on work can be lowered.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto opposes new taxes, a party spokesman told ERR it does not back a property tax, and in 2025 it pledged to keep land tax as low as possible.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 18, 21/01/2023.

The standard VAT rate should be brought back down from 24%, even if public spending has to be cut.

Reasoning: In 2025 it tabled a bill to cut VAT from 24% to 22% and proposes lower government running costs; in 2026 its leader speaks of targeted tax cuts.

Source: Isamaa fraktsiooni eelnõu 680 SE «Maksurahu kehtestamise seadus» ja seletuskiri, 18.06.2025, 18/06/2025.

To reduce the budget deficit, public spending should be cut rather than taxes raised.

Reasoning: In 2026 its leader called for a negative supplementary budget and lower government running costs, and criticised the government for filling the revenue gap with tax rises.

Source: Urmas Reinsalu kõne 2027. aasta riigieelarve üleandmisel Riigikogus, 29.09.2026 (Eesti Uudised), 29/09/2026.

Pensions should rise faster, even if taxes have to go up to pay for it.

Reasoning: It wants pensions to catch up with the EU average through economic growth; it opposes tax rises and says the government's tax increases have worsened pensioners' living standards.

Source: Isamaa Euroopa Parlamendi valimisprogramm 2024 «Õigele teele!», lk 10, 15/04/2024.

Families with three or more children should receive much larger benefits than families with one or two children.

Reasoning: In 2023 it protested against cuts to the large-family allowance, whose increase it had pushed in 2022, and in 2025 it criticised cuts to family benefits.

Source: ERR, 08.05.2023: Isamaa tõi riigikogu ette meeleavaldusele lapsed ja kärud, 08/05/2023.

Healthcare should rely more on people's own responsibility, for example through higher patient co-payments.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto says people are responsible for their own health and favours private insurance, but it wants to reduce patient co-payments and exempt over-75s from specialist visit fees.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 22–24, 21/01/2023.

University education should be free for all students.

Reasoning: In 2024 its leader backed free higher education in Estonian but said programmes taught in other languages should not be free.

Source: ERR, 11.08.2024: Enamiku erakondade juhid soovivad teatud erialadel tasulist kõrgharidust, 11/08/2024.

Estonia should keep defence spending at 5% of GDP or more, even if that means cuts in other areas.

Reasoning: In 2025 its leader called for the defence chief's military advice (6–7% of GDP, according to the SDE leader) to be implemented without delay, and in 2026 said the defence effort must be long-term.

Source: ERR, 19.03.2025: Reinsalu ja Läänemets: kaitsekulud kohe kuuele-seitsmele protsendile SKP-st, 19/03/2025.

Estonia should keep giving Ukraine military aid worth at least 0.25% of GDP every year.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto pledges military support for Ukraine until victory, and its 2024 European election manifesto calls for multiplying military and economic aid.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 13, 21/01/2023.

Women should also do compulsory military service.

Frozen Russian assets should be used to fund Ukraine.

Reasoning: Its 2024 European election manifesto supports confiscating Russian assets and using them to prepare a Marshall Plan for rebuilding Ukraine.

Source: Isamaa Euroopa Parlamendi valimisprogramm 2024 «Õigele teele!», lk 5, 15/04/2024.

The EU should hand powers back to member states rather than take on new ones.

Reasoning: It wants a union of nation states, opposing moves towards a federal EU and common tax, social or migration policies, though it backs a bigger EU role in defence.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 13, 21/01/2023.

The EU should be able to take foreign policy decisions by majority vote, without needing unanimity.

Reasoning: Its 2024 European election manifesto backs keeping the unanimity principle in the EU so that smaller member states keep their voice in its institutions.

Source: Isamaa Euroopa Parlamendi valimisprogramm 2024 «Õigele teele!», lk 18, 15/04/2024.

Estonia should make it easier to hire workers from outside the EU when companies cannot find staff.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto prefers Estonians returning home and inactive people re-entering work to foreign labour, and in 2025–2026 it criticised the easing of immigration rules.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 14, 21/01/2023.

The annual immigration quota should not be increased.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto pledges not to raise the immigration quota (0.1% of the population), and in 2026 its parliamentary group leader criticised the increase made this term.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 14, 21/01/2023.

All schooling should switch to Estonian by 2030, including in schools where most pupils speak Russian.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto aims to complete the switch to Estonian-language teaching in all kindergartens and schools, in basic school by the 2029/30 school year.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 7, 21/01/2023.

It should be easier for people who have lived in Estonia since before 1991 to obtain Estonian citizenship.

Reasoning: 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.

Source: Helir-Valdor Seederi kõne Riigikogus kodakondsuse seaduse muutmise eelnõu esimesel lugemisel, 15.09.2026 (Eesti Uudised), 15/09/2026.

People who work with customers should be required to speak Estonian, with higher fines if they do not.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto proposes extra Estonian-language requirements in customer service and raising the penalty payment for breaches to €9,600.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 7, 21/01/2023.

Churches in Estonia should be required to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Reasoning: In 2025 its parliamentary group voted for the churches law amendments requiring a break in subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate.

Source: Riigikogu hääletus, kirikute ja koguduste seaduse muutmise seadus, 09.04.2025 (ERR), 09/04/2025.

Estonian citizens should be allowed to also hold the citizenship of another EU or NATO country.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto opposes allowing multiple citizenship and makes no exception for allied countries.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 14, 21/01/2023.

Estonia should build a nuclear power plant.

Reasoning: In 2026 its leader said he does not rule out a nuclear plant in future, but a proper energy plan must be drawn up first.

Source: ERR, 18.06.2026: Enamik poliitjõududest toetavad tuumajaama rajamist, 18/06/2026.

Estonia should keep producing electricity from oil shale in the long term.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto backs keeping and developing oil-shale energy until energy security is ensured by other means, and in 2026 the party defended the oil-shale sector.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 19, 21/01/2023.

Estonia should pass a climate law with binding targets for cutting emissions.

Reasoning: In August 2026 its leader called for the climate bill to be dropped, describing it as an initiative that would kill off the resource-based economy.

Source: Urmas Reinsalu kõne Isamaa volikogul Pärnus, 29.08.2026 (Eesti Uudised), 29/08/2026.

More wind farms should be built on land, even if local residents oppose them.

Reasoning: Its 2025 local election manifesto says onshore wind farms may only be built with the joint consent of local residents.

Source: Isamaa KOV2025 üldprogramm, lk 2, 03/09/2025.

The amount of forest felled in Estonia each year should be reduced.

Reasoning: Its 2024 European election manifesto wants to keep the current split between protected and commercial forest (30:70), and in 2025 it pledged to scrap unreasonable land-use restrictions.

Source: Isamaa Euroopa Parlamendi valimisprogramm 2024 «Õigele teele!», lk 13, 15/04/2024.

The Constitution should define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Reasoning: Its founding principles say marriage between a man and a woman must be protected by the Constitution, and its 2023 manifesto pledges to propose that amendment.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 4, 21/01/2023.

Access to abortion in Estonia should be restricted.

Tougher punishments reduce crime more than prevention and rehabilitation do.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto combines tougher penalties for domestic violence and violence against minors with crime prevention for young people; in 2023 it said punishment and prevention are not mutually exclusive.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 5 ja 15, 21/01/2023.

Euthanasia should be allowed for terminally ill people who ask for it.

Inciting hatred against a group of people should be punished more severely.

Reasoning: It opposed the hate speech bill: in 2023 its leader said the law was unnecessary and that freedom of expression must not become a matter for criminal law.

Source: ERR, 13.09.2023: Vaenukõne seadus sai õiguskomisjonilt heakskiidu, 13/09/2023.

Internet voting should be kept in elections.

The President of the Republic should be elected directly by the citizens.

Citizens should be able to trigger a binding referendum by collecting signatures.

The state should keep small village schools open even if they have few pupils.

Reasoning: Its 2025 local election manifesto says pre-school and basic education must be available close to home and criticises government pressure on municipalities to give up running education.

Source: Isamaa KOV2025 üldprogramm, lk 3, 03/09/2025.

Public transport should be free throughout Estonia.

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto proposes decoupling public transport subsidies from the duty to offer free travel and backs a bigger passenger contribution to funding county transport.

Source: Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023 «Eestluse elujõud», lk 20, 21/01/2023.