Riigikogu refuses to consider President's remarks on Law on Churches

The Estonian Parliament session. Photo: Andres Putting. Delfi Meedia

On August 4, 2025, the constitutional commission of the Riigikogu decided to support the Law on Churches and Parishes in its original form, despite the remarks of the President of Estonia. This was reported in an official press release distributed by the chairman of the commission, Ando Kiviberg (Eesti 200). This was reported by the publication Delfi.

According to him, the majority of the commission members found the text of the law sufficiently clear and saw no grounds for amendments. Meanwhile, the president had previously pointed out that the document in its current version is vaguely formulated and may affect the daily activities of religious communities, not just their external relations.

The legal commission of the Riigikogu is expected to return to discussing the law in September. Its chairman, Madis Timpson (Reform Party), stated that he sees no need to revise the law and intends to propose resubmitting it for a vote in the chamber without changes.

Timpson emphasized that the document is not directed against specific religions and does not lead to a ban on church activities. «It is only about the inadmissibility of external influence under the guise of freedom of speech and democracy,» he stated.

According to Delfi, if the law is passed by the parliament again, the president can either sign it or appeal to the State Court for a constitutional review. The decision of the head of state will be known after the repeated vote in the Riigikogu.

Earlier, the UOJ reported on the intentions of Estonian deputies to amend the law based on the President's remarks.

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