Estonian president challenges land tax law amendments in Supreme Court

TALLINN - Estonian President Alar Karis is seeking a ruling from the Supreme Court to declare a bill amending the Land Tax Act and the Taxation Act unconstitutional.

The president used his veto power because the bill's passage was tied to a vote of confidence in the government

"The Supreme Court has noted that allowing unlimited obstruction would enable even a small group of parliament members to render the parliament incapacitated," Karis said in his decision. "However, if it is decided that the ongoing obstruction gives the government the right to continually tie bills to votes of confidence, then a situation arises where a small group of parliament members can also make generally permissible something which, according to the spirit of the Constitution, is an exceptional procedure," the head of state said.

"Consider a scenario where members of an opposition party opt for endless obstruction as a strategy. In such circumstances, labeling it a deadlock between parliament and government is debatable. Moreover, linking bills to confidence votes is unlikely to break such a deadlock. Rather, it would prevent other parliament members from performing their constitutional responsibilities," the president emphasized. "The behavior of a few members of the parliament should not justify the government in perpetually restricting the ability of other members to exercise their mandate," he concluded.

The parliament passed the amendments to the Land Tax Act and the Taxation Act on Nov. 22. Karis declined to proclaim it on Dec. 8 and proposed to the parliament to reconsider the bill and bring it in line with the Constitution. The parliament discussed the law again on Dec. 18 and approved it again without any modifications.