Social Democrats urge parliament to suspend 2027 budget reading

Estonia’s Social Democratic Party has called for parliament to suspend the second reading of the 2027 state budget bill and seek a compromise on proposed amendments, ERR reports.

The party’s leadership discussed the budget process on Tuesday and said an agreement was needed to secure majority support for the bill. It accused the government of leaving important social concerns unresolved when preparing the budget.

The Social Democrats said their amendments had not received support as a package in the Finance Committee. They argued that using more of the Health Insurance Fund’s reserves was justified in light of a report by the National Audit Office, that underfunding of special care could no longer be postponed following a Supreme Court ruling in the spring, and that larger generations already in upper secondary school needed enough places in higher education.

“Without an agreement, the budget’s passage is not certain, but the Social Democrats do not want such uncertainty for the country,” the party said. It added that the government was responsible for drawing up a budget that meets Estonia’s needs and wins majority support in parliament.

The second reading of the bill is scheduled for Wednesday. The Finance Committee received 95 proposed amendments and accepted two. The Social Democratic Party’s parliamentary group submitted seven amendments, proposing 20 million euros for special care, 40 million euros for the Health Insurance Fund, 17 million euros to support pay rises for teachers, rescue workers and police officers, and 15 million euros for additional higher-education places and needs-based study allowances.

Tags: Estonia, state budget, Social Democrats