The Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) passed an Act that will allow people aged at least 16 to vote and people aged at least 18 to stand as candidates in the European Parliament elections from 2029.
59 members of the Riigikogu supported and 28 were against the passing of the Act on Amendments to the European Parliament Election Act (lowering of the voting age and the age for standing as a candidate) (414 SE).
While currently citizens aged at least 18 can vote and people aged at least 21 can stand as candidates in European Parliament elections, the Act will lower the voting age to 16 and the age for standing as a candidate to 18. Estonian citizens, as well as European Union citizens without Estonian citizenship who have their permanent residence in Estonia, have the right to vote and stand as candidates in European Parliament elections.
The amendment was initiated in March 2024 by 45 members of the Riigikogu with the aim of involving young people more in the discussion and deciding of European issues. They pointed out in the explanatory memorandum that, as Estonia’s population was ageing, political engagement and decision-making was increasingly skewed towards the elderly electorate. According to the initiators, the amendment will put youth issues more in the public spotlight, encourage young people to participate in social life as active citizens, as well as help influence European-level decisions concerning young people’s interests, needs, and future.
The first reading of the Bill took place in May 2024 and the second reading in June this year. During the legislative proceedings, the Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu discussed the Bill at nine sittings, four of which were public. In addition to meetings with experts, researchers and interest groups, the Committee commissioned a report on lowering the voting age and its impact in European countries from the Legal and Research Department of the Chancellery of the Riigikogu. The Committee also commissioned a study on the young people’s decision-making ability and the factors that influence it from the University of Tartu, through the Foresight Centre.
The Act passed today will be implemented for the first time during the elections of the European Parliament in 2029. Voting age for local elections has already been lowered in Estonia and young people aged 16 and 17 can vote at municipal councils elections since 2017.