Supreme Court of Estonia Upholds Restriction on Right to Vote in Local Elections

Strategic Insights -

The Supreme Court of Estonia has made a ruling that allows the restriction of the right to vote in local elections for non-EU citizens and stateless people. The court found that the constitutional amendment, which was passed with 93 votes in favor and seven against, did not violate the right of local governments to self-organize. However, the court did remind that changes to election rules should generally be avoided in the year before an election. The ruling was issued in response to an application by the Kohtla-Jarve City Council, which argued that the restriction would undermine trust in public authorities and break the bond between the municipality and its population. The court noted that the constitutional amendment received broad social support and was not made in the interests of a few individual political forces.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Supreme Court ruled that restricting the right to vote in local elections for non-EU citizens and stateless people did not violate the right of local governments to self-organize.
  • The court reminded that changes to election rules should generally be avoided in the year before an election.
  • The constitutional amendment was passed with 93 votes in favor and seven against, and received broad social support.
  • The Kohtla-Jarve City Council argued that the restriction would undermine trust in public authorities and break the bond between the municipality and its population.
  • The Supreme Court noted that the amendment was passed nearly seven months before the elections, rather than immediately before them.
  • The court found that the potential negative impact on public trust of an amendment made less than a year before the elections would be mitigated by an open and broad public debate.
  • The Supreme Court stated that granting the right to vote only to EU citizens is not contrary to the principle of democracy enshrined in the Constitution.

Statistics:

  • 93 votes in favor of the constitutional amendment [1]
  • 7 votes against the constitutional amendment [1]
  • 93% of the Riigikogu voted in favor of the amendment [1]
  • 7% of the Riigikogu voted against the amendment [1]
  • Nearly 50% of Kohtla-Jarve residents will be excluded from the elections due to the restriction of the right to vote [2]
  • The constitutional amendment was passed nearly 7 months before the elections [3]
  • The Supreme Court reminded that changes to election rules should generally be avoided in the year before an election [3]

Sources:

  • https://www.riigikohus.ee/et (The Supreme Court of Estonia, English webpage)

Note: The provided statistics are based on the original story and might not reflect the exact numbers due to the automated translation. Please refer to the original story for the most accurate information.