What does Eesti Keskerakond propose?

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

Reasoning: It backs a progressive income tax: in 2025 it proposed taxing more heavily the part of income not needed to get by, and in 2023 a 30% rate on income above two average wages.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 piketivoldik «Ummikust välja!», lk 2, 17/06/2025.

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

Reasoning: In 2025 its parliamentary group proposed cutting VAT on basic foods to 9%, and its party council made that cut one of its priorities for the 2027 election.

Source: ERR, 12.12.2025: Riigikogu ei toetanud toiduainete käibemaksu langetamist, 12/12/2025.

The annual car tax should be abolished.

Reasoning: In November 2025 its party council called for scrapping the car tax, and its Tallinn coalition agreement commits to working for its repeal by January 2027 at the latest.

Source: Keskerakonna volikogu avaldus «Eesti väärib Reformierakonna-vaba valitsust!», 15.11.2025, 15/11/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its party programme proposes an inheritance and property tax on large assets and a reform of the social tax; in 2025, however, it opposed raising the land tax.

Source: Keskerakonna programm (keskerakond.ee/erakonnast/programm), maksupoliitika, 22/01/2025.

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

Reasoning: In 2025 it listed the VAT rise to 24% among the tax increases it wants to reverse, offering instead a progressive income tax, a bank profits tax and an end to large projects.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 piketivoldik «Ummikust välja!», lk 2, 17/06/2025.

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

Reasoning: It proposes funding the state with taxes on higher incomes, banks and large corporations and by ending some large projects, while calling for more social spending.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 piketivoldik «Ummikust välja!», lk 2, 17/06/2025.

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

Reasoning: It calls for an extraordinary pension rise on top of indexation and proposes revenue from a progressive income tax and a bank profits tax, while opposing the government's tax increases.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 valimisplatvorm «Ummikust välja!», lk 14–15, 15/06/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 programme promises larger and new benefits for large families, and before 2023 its parliamentary group tabled a bill giving families with three to six children €700 a month.

Source: Keskerakonna valimisplatvorm 2023 «Julgelt inimeste heaks!», sotsiaalpoliitika, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 programme proposes reducing patients' out-of-pocket payments for health care, including dental care, and exempting people over 65 from visit fees.

Source: Keskerakonna valimisplatvorm 2023 «Julgelt inimeste heaks!», tervishoiupoliitika, 14/01/2023.

University education should be free for all students.

Reasoning: Its 2025 platform firmly defends free university education, although its leader said in 2024 that it should be differentiated according to the country's priorities.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 valimisplatvorm «Ummikust välja!», lk 4, 15/06/2025.

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 the 5.4%-of-GDP target without a funding plan a sleight of hand and said defence spending must not grow at the expense of health, social care and education.

Source: Mihhail Kõlvarti arvamusartikkel «Loosungitega turvatunnet ei loo», ERR, 02.05.2025, 02/05/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2024 European election platform supports continued military, economic and political aid to Ukraine until it restores its borders; it takes no position on the 0.25%-of-GDP figure.

Source: Keskerakonna Euroopa Parlamendi valimiste platvorm 2024 (Wayback Machine), 23/05/2024.

Women should also do compulsory military service.

Reasoning: Its 2023 programme wants more women to do military service, but on a voluntary basis; its principles back keeping general compulsory service.

Source: Keskerakonna valimisplatvorm 2023 «Julgelt inimeste heaks!», kaitsepoliitika, 14/01/2023.

Frozen Russian assets should be used to fund Ukraine.

Reasoning: In 2024 none of its MPs voted for the law allowing frozen Russian assets to be used to compensate Ukraine: five did not vote and one was absent.

Source: Riigikogu hääletus 332 SE (rahvusvahelise sanktsiooni seaduse muutmine), lõpphääletus 15.05.2024, 15/05/2024.

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

Reasoning: In 2026 it moved towards the European conservative ECR, stressing national sovereignty and less regulation, but in 2024 it backed tax harmonisation and new common EU policies.

Source: Keskerakond: «Eesti Keskerakond alustab läbirääkimisi liitumiseks ECR-iga», 14.03.2026, 14/03/2026.

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

Reasoning: Its 2024 European election platform wants to keep unanimity so Estonia cannot be outvoted, but calls for a mechanism to speed up decisions in exceptional crises.

Source: Keskerakonna Euroopa Parlamendi valimiste platvorm 2024 (Wayback Machine), 23/05/2024.

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

Reasoning: It accepts that the economy needs temporary foreign workers, but wants parliament to control quotas and employers to pay them more than the sector's average wage.

Source: Keskerakonna programm (keskerakond.ee/erakonnast/programm), rändepoliitika, 22/01/2025.

The annual immigration quota should not be increased.

Reasoning: Its principles call for immigration quotas to remain under strict parliamentary control, and its 2023 programme backed a conservative line on immigration.

Source: Keskerakonna programm (keskerakond.ee/erakonnast/programm), rändepoliitika, 22/01/2025.

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

Reasoning: In 2023 it opposed the full switch to Estonian-language schooling; in 2025 it accepts it, but wants the teacher shortage solved and pupils' mother tongue and identity preserved.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 valimisplatvorm «Ummikust välja!», lk 11, 15/06/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its party programme says people who lived in Estonia before 1991 should get citizenship through a simplified procedure, and its 2023 programme set this out in detail.

Source: Keskerakonna programm (keskerakond.ee/erakonnast/programm), kodakondsuspoliitika, 22/01/2025.

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

Reasoning: It prefers offering free Estonian courses tailored to each occupation; before the 2023 election one of its MPs criticised requiring B1 level from food couriers and ride-hailing drivers.

Source: Keskerakonna valimisplatvorm 2023 «Julgelt inimeste heaks!», rahvastikupoliitika, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: Its parliamentary group voted in 2025 against the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which require the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church to cut its subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate.

Source: Riigikogu hääletus, kirikute ja koguduste seaduse muudatused, 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 programme proposes allowing multiple citizenship with EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.

Source: Keskerakonna valimisplatvorm 2023 «Julgelt inimeste heaks!», rahvastikupoliitika, 14/01/2023.

Estonia should build a nuclear power plant.

Reasoning: In 2026 it supported the law regulating nuclear energy, but its 2023 programme only proposed studying it and required broad public agreement before using it.

Source: ERR, 18.06.2026: Valitsuserakonnad toetavad Eestisse tuumajaama rajamist, 18/06/2026.

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

Reasoning: In 2025 its party council called for building new power plants based above all on Estonia's own oil shale, and its municipal programme promises to keep producing energy from shale.

Source: Keskerakonna volikogu avaldus «Eesti väärib Reformierakonna-vaba valitsust!», 15.11.2025, 15/11/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its December 2025 Tallinn coalition agreement asks the government to drop the climate bill, and in 2025 it promised to halt the ideological green transition.

Source: Keskerakonna ja Isamaa Tallinna koalitsioonilepe 2025–2029, 01.12.2025, 01/12/2025.

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

Reasoning: In 2025 it called for curbing subsidies to wind power, which it sees as expensive and unstable, and its municipal programme makes projects depend on local communities' needs and consent.

Source: Keskerakonna volikogu avaldus «Eesti väärib Reformierakonna-vaba valitsust!», 15.11.2025, 15/11/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 programme proposes reviewing felling volumes in state forests, managing forests without reducing growing stock and studying a longer spring felling pause.

Source: Keskerakonna valimisplatvorm 2023 «Julgelt inimeste heaks!», keskkonnapoliitika, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: In 2023 its leader said he opposed marriage equality, which its parliamentary group voted against, but added that he would not reverse the decision if in government.

Source: ERR, 13.09.2023: Kõlvart: iga inimese lahkumine Keskerakonnast on suur probleem, 13/09/2023.

Access to abortion in Estonia should be restricted.

Reasoning: In 2019, during coalition talks with EKRE, its then leader said there were no plans to ban abortion, and EKRE's proposal to reduce abortions found no support.

Source: ERR, 15.03.2019: EKRE peamine ettepanek abortide osas jäi koalitsioonikõnelustel toetuseta, 15/03/2019.

Tougher punishments reduce crime more than prevention and rehabilitation do.

Reasoning: Its 2023 programme combines tougher penalties for repeat traffic offenders with prevention of domestic violence, youth offending and addiction.

Source: Keskerakonna valimisplatvorm 2023 «Julgelt inimeste heaks!», siseturvalisuse poliitika, 14/01/2023.

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: In 2023 its MP Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart criticised the hate speech bill, saying it was unclear what problem it solved and that existing law already covered the issue.

Source: ERR, 12.09.2023: Õiguskomisjon saatis vaenukõne eelnõu esimesele lugemisele, 12/09/2023.

Internet voting should be kept in elections.

Reasoning: In 2023 its leader said he does not fully trust internet voting and votes on paper, but the party has made concrete proposals: an extra server and voter identification.

Source: ERR, 13.09.2023: Kõlvart: iga inimese lahkumine Keskerakonnast on suur probleem, 13/09/2023.

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

Reasoning: In April 2026 its parliamentary group tabled a constitutional amendment for citizens to elect the president directly, the party's eighth such proposal.

Source: Keskerakonna volikogu avaldus «Eesti vajab ühendavat riigipead, kelle valimisel tuleb usaldada rahvast», 13.06.2026, 13/06/2026.

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

Reasoning: Its programme backs people expressing their will between elections through referendums, and in 2023 it proposed letting 25,000 citizens submit a bill to parliament.

Source: Keskerakonna programm (keskerakond.ee/erakonnast/programm), demokraatliku juhtimise täiustamine, 22/01/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2025 platform promises every child a school close to home: financial support for small schools and innovative solutions to keep them viable.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 valimisplatvorm «Ummikust välja!», lk 10, 15/06/2025.

Public transport should be free throughout Estonia.

Reasoning: Its 2025 platform considers free public transport important throughout Estonia and in all municipalities; in Tallinn it stays free under its coalition agreement.

Source: Keskerakonna KOV2025 valimisplatvorm «Ummikust välja!», lk 9, 15/06/2025.