Estonian president on the situation with the ban on the Estonian Church: “I don't like labeling”

Estonian President Alar Karis commented on his decision to veto amendments to the state law “On Churches and Parishes” again, through which the republic’s parliament tried to ban the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate). The head of state noted that he does not accept “labeling” Estonian citizens because of their religious preferences. He stated this in an interview with Delfi.

«We have now reached a stage where it is very easy to label people. I don’t know what the nuns from the monastery in Kuremäe (Pühtitsa Monastery, ed.) think and what they think about. But I don’t like labeling people. In a sense, it is an attempt to silence society. If I say something, reject a law, and am branded a Kremlin agent, then fine, I’ll get over it. But many people withdraw into themselves. And they simply don’t want to participate in society anymore. Just because of these labels,» — Karis said.

Earlier, we reported that Estonian President Alar Karis had again vetoed amendments to the state law “On Churches and Parishes,” through which the republic’s parliament planned to ban the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. The head of state noted that the law, despite having been repeatedly revised in parliament, still contradicts certain articles of the Estonian Constitution.