President Alar Karis refused for the second time to promulgate several bills on Thursday, including the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which seeks to stop churches from being influenced by foreign powers, according to news.err.ee.
The Churches and Congregations Act, the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act, and the International Sanctions Act were all rejected by Karis, who said they are not in accordance with the Constitution.
The president declined to promulgate the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act for a second time, finding the changes made by the Riigikogu insufficient.
The Riigikogu must now decide whether to amend both laws, including the Churches and Congregations Act for a second time. If the Riigikogu passes the laws again without changes, the president is likely to refer them to the Supreme Court.
“Both laws have important objectives. However, those objectives are not achieved if the law, in addition to necessary restrictions, also introduces such vague provisions that allow for excessive interpretation and ultimately lead to numerous legal disputes,” the president noted.
“The Riigikogu has indeed amended the text of the Churches and Congregations Act somewhat, but not sufficiently. It still conflicts with three articles of the Constitution and disproportionately restricts freedom of association and freedom of religion,” the head of state explained, referring to Articles 40, 48, and 11 of the Constitution.
“Foreign influence must be countered, but that requires a clearer definition of the foreign ties that are actually dangerous. The explanatory memorandum to the law explicitly states that beyond regulating administrative relationships, there is also an intention to regulate church teachings and religious rites. There are other effective means to combat influence activities, so such extensive interference is not necessary. Moreover, the concept of ‘threat’ is defined so broadly in the law that, according to its wording, it is enough if violence was justified decades or even longer ago. Thus, the law also encompasses religious organizations whose restriction would not align with the intended goals of the legislation,” President Karis noted.
Estonian Interior minister: Moscow Patriarchate’s influence still a threat to Estonia’s security
President Alar Karis’s decision not to promulgate the Churches and Congregations Act for a second time inevitably leads to the conclusion that the Head of State considers it to be an unnecessary law, according to Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200).
President Alar Karis’s decision not to promulgate the Churches and Congregations Act for a second time inevitably leads to the conclusion that the Head of State considers it to be an unnecessary law, according to Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200).
“The purpose of the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act is to protect Estonia’s security and freedom of religion, and they do not in themselves entail the banning of Orthodoxy or any other religion,” said Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200).
“The amendments has to rule out a situation whereby the justification, defense and blessing of Russia’s war of aggression – which is characteristic of the Moscow Patriarchate – would affect the activities of believers here and endanger the security of other Estonian residents.”
The Minister of the Interior recalled President Karis’ words from April 24 this year, when he first refused to promulgate the Churches and Congregations Act, that “the Moscow Patriarchate undermines the sovereignty and democracy of states.”
“President Karis then also provided instructions on how the law could comply with the Constitution. On that basis, the Ministry of the Interior submitted its proposals to the Riigikogu, after which, the Riigikogu adopted the law as amended.”
“President Karis’s second decision not to promulgate the law inevitably leads to the conclusion that the Head of State considers it an unnecessary law. As interior minister, I disagree with that, which means that we must once again look for constitutional ways to protect our religious community from aggressive Russian influence, an integral part of which is the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate’s undisguised support for the war of conquest and war crimes,” said Taro.
Following the president’s new veto, the Ministry of the Interior will now consult the Riigikogu’s Legal Affairs Committee, which can propose to the plenary to adopt the law as it stands or amend the text once again, in line with the president’s decision.
