Estonia is famous for its forests – but it may soon become famous for their destruction; across the country, the Estonian government is leading an extraordinary effort to cut down swaths of the country's forests.
Currently, the State Forest Management Center (RMK) is responsible for the decisions of which forests are under protection, but these decisions might be transferred to local government in the future. A draft law in processing states that the RMK should have to ask the local government for a felling permit going forward.
The Tallinn Administrative Court has banned logging at Natura 2000 sites under interim injunction - the dispute concerns a total of 106 forest notifications.
Estonia has two non-parliamentary political movements worth mentioning: Eesti 200 and green parties.
The former moving up in the polls this fall and winter is hardly extraordinary – as the saying goes, silence is golden. It is nice to remain on the sidelines and look on as MPs scramble for power on Toompea Hill. A part of people s dissatisfaction with Riigikogu politics sent them to the fold of Eesti 200 temporarily, while a number of these protest votes will now return to Reform. At least for now.
Local government council elections will become the first true touchstone for Eesti 200. They will show whether the party is capable of putting together convincing lists of candidates and demonstrate it is a force to be reckoned with if elected leading up to Riigikogu elections in 2023. Or whether we will see a repeat of what happened to Res Publica in Tallinn or election coalitions full of newcomers in past local elections.