President Alar Karis announced ten new laws on Thursday. One of them changes the ERR law. The president believes this could pose a threat to press freedom.
According to the ERR law, the council must include both men and women. The council must also have more experts. Experts are selected through a public competition. President Karis said that ERR is very important in Estonia. Therefore, council members must be impartial.
The Riigikogu Cultural Committee was surprised. Initially, only gender equality was discussed. But the committee chair Liina Kersna added a proposal to increase the number of experts. This sparked much debate. Will more experts make ERR more independent?
The government believes the council should have more experts than politicians. The opposition disagrees. They think the government wants more control over ERR.
President Karis also approved other laws. These laws will make court proceedings faster and simpler. The construction process will also be simplified. Other laws concern banking, air quality, and children's rights.