What does Eesti Reformierakond propose?

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

Reasoning: It defends a flat income tax: since 2026 everyone pays 22% with €700 a month tax-free. It opposes the progressive income tax proposed by other parties.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 34, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: It opposes cutting VAT on food: it estimates the state would lose up to €400 million and doubts that shop prices would fall for good.

Source: Maris Lauri arvamusartikkel, reform.ee, 11.10.2026, 11/10/2026.

The annual car tax should be abolished.

Reasoning: It opposes scrapping the car tax: it calculates that the annual tax and the registration fee will bring in €169 million in 2027 and that abolishing them would widen the deficit.

Source: Maris Lauri arvamusartikkel, reform.ee, 11.10.2026, 11/10/2026.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto pledges not to raise the overall tax burden, including when taxing property, and leaves land tax to local councils. It does not propose a property tax.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 27, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: Its 2025 coalition agreement sets VAT at 24% to fund defence, and the government it leads made that temporary rise permanent. It does not propose lowering it.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 34, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: For 2027 the government it leads cuts the deficit to 4% of GDP with an extra spending cut of about €250 million and a lower tax burden; earlier it also raised taxes, such as VAT, to pay for defence.

Source: Kristen Michal, „Eesti tuleviku eelarve“, reform.ee, 29.09.2026, 29/09/2026.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement keeps pension indexation unchanged. In 2023 it promised an average pension of €1,000 by 2027; the forecast for 2027 is €904.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 42, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto says paying families with three or more children more per child is unjustified when they already get the large-family allowance; it prefers needs-based support.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 44, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto expects everyone to take responsibility for their own health and wants more supplementary health insurance; the 2025 coalition agreement studies bringing private money into healthcare.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 46, 14/01/2023.

University education should be free for all students.

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement keeps a first higher-education degree in Estonian free of tuition, but students repeating the same level would pay. It does not propose free university for everyone.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 12, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its government has raised defence spending to at least 5% of GDP, which the party calls a decision that requires trade-offs; its board says it will not save money at the expense of defence.

Source: Kristen Michali kõne Reformierakonna üldkogul, reform.ee, 17.05.2026, 17/05/2026.

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

Reasoning: Its government keeps military aid to Ukraine at 0.25% of GDP in the 2027 budget, arguing that Ukraine's security and Estonia's are linked.

Source: Kristen Michal, „Eesti tuleviku eelarve“, reform.ee, 29.09.2026, 29/09/2026.

Women should also do compulsory military service.

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement encourages women to do military service voluntarily and studies how to raise their share in the Defence Forces; it does not propose making it compulsory.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 4, 24/03/2025.

Frozen Russian assets should be used to fund Ukraine.

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement commits to getting frozen Russian assets used to support Ukraine as fully and quickly as possible, as its 2024 European election manifesto also demanded.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 43, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2024 European manifesto wants more EU action on defence, including a defence commissioner and Eurobonds for the defence industry, but opposes widening EU powers on taxation.

Source: Reformierakonna Euroopa Parlamendi valimisprogramm 2024, 09/06/2024.

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

Reasoning: Its 2024 European election manifesto calls for qualified-majority voting on sanctions, human rights violations and international crime, though not across all foreign policy.

Source: Reformierakonna Euroopa Parlamendi valimisprogramm 2024, 09/06/2024.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement changes the Aliens Act rules on skilled workers to ease labour shortages while managing security risks; in 2023 it already called for controlled migration.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 8, 24/03/2025.

The annual immigration quota should not be increased.

Reasoning: In 2026 it voted to take sectors with labour shortages out of the annual immigration quota, with a separate cap of their own; it supports bringing in skilled workers through controlled migration.

Source: Riigikogu hääletus 785 SE (välismaalaste seaduse muutmine, tööjõupuudusega tegevusalade erisus), lõpphääletus 04.05.2026, 04/05/2026.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto says all general education will be in Estonian from 2030, when the state will fund only Estonian-language schools; in Tallinn in 2025 it pledged to complete the transition.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 30, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: Its principles call for helping people meet the requirements for citizenship without changing the basic rules; its coalition agreement only stops grey passports being issued to children born in Estonia.

Source: Reformierakonna programm (põhiprogramm), 2005, lk 10, 15/05/2005.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement promises an updated Language Act to strengthen Estonian in public life and as the main language of communication; it does not specify fines for customer service.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 14, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its parliamentary group voted in 2025 for 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 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.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 8, 24/03/2025.

Estonia should build a nuclear power plant.

Reasoning: It wants to set up a nuclear regulator so that nuclear power can be part of Estonia's energy mix in future; its government is preparing a nuclear law and a site plan for a plant.

Source: Reformierakond, reform.ee, 15.09.2026 (Kristen Michal uutest ministritest), 15/09/2026.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement keeps oil-shale plants running only until new dispatchable capacity arrives and backs renewables and nuclear; in 2026 it called for faster steps to cut the impact of fossil fuels.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 16, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement promises to write Estonia's climate targets into law through a climate-resilient economy act, and in 2026 its chairman urged the Riigikogu to pass it.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 17, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto declares renewable projects an overriding public interest and in 2026 it wants wind plans unblocked as far as possible; its coalition agreement seeks local benefits from wind parks.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 15, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement guarantees that 70% of forest land can be managed without further restrictions and backs the wood industry; its 2023 manifesto said logging should stay below forest growth.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 18, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto rejects discrimination against same-sex families; its government passed marriage equality that year, and in 2026 it pledges no step back on minority rights.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 45, 14/01/2023.

Access to abortion in Estonia should be restricted.

Reasoning: In 2023 it answered with the position of its minister Signe Riisalo: abortion rights are an inseparable part of women's rights, and banning abortion would endanger women's health.

Source: ERR Valijakompass 2023, Reformierakonna vastus (väide aborditegemise õiguste piiramise kohta), 05/03/2023.

Tougher punishments reduce crime more than prevention and rehabilitation do.

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement aims to prevent reoffending through gradual, supervised release from prison and a bigger role for probation; its 2023 manifesto puts prevention first.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 23, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement provides for a law on patients' advance directives at the end of life and continued debate on end-of-life rules, without taking a position on euthanasia.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 39, 24/03/2025.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto pledges, in line with the Constitution, to punish incitement to hatred without requiring harm to result; the 2025 coalition agreement no longer mentions it.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 74, 14/01/2023.

Internet voting should be kept in elections.

Reasoning: It defends online voting as part of the digital state and of citizens' freedom and criticises those who attack it; its coalition agreement aims to upgrade and secure the technology.

Source: Kristen Michali kõne Reformierakonna üldkogul, reform.ee, 17.05.2026, 17/05/2026.

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

Reasoning: When direct presidential elections were proposed in 2013, its parliamentary leader replied that the party favours a parliamentary republic; there is no later position.

Source: ERR, 14.02.2013: Reformierakond presidendi otsevalimisest, 14/02/2013.

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

Reasoning: Its 2023 manifesto describes Estonia as a state based on representative democracy and wants to strengthen parliamentarism; it does not propose citizen-initiated referendums.

Source: Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023, lk 72, 14/01/2023.

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

Reasoning: Its coalition agreement supports councils in keeping small rural schools close to home, but also in reorganising the school network as each local community decides.

Source: Reformierakonna ja Eesti 200 koalitsioonilepe 2025–2027, lk 10, 24/03/2025.

Public transport should be free throughout Estonia.

Reasoning: Its 2025 Tallinn manifesto limits free public transport to children, students, pensioners and disabled people, and its 2026 rural programme proposes a national ticketing system.

Source: Reformierakonna Tallinna valimisprogramm 2025, 19/10/2025.