THE President of Estonia, Alar Karis, has decided for the second time not to promulgate the Churches and Congregations Act, legislation designed to sever canonical ties of the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (EKOK) with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Last month, lawmakers in Estonia passed a slightly revised version of the Churches and Congregations Act, after the President had rejected it in April on constitutional grounds (News, 27 June).

President Karis has defended his repeated refusal to sign the legislation with the assertion that — despite the changes made to the text after the first vote in the unicarmeral Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu — it still conflicts with the Constitution and “disproportionately restricts freedom of association and freedom of religion”.

He said that, according to the explanatory memorandum to the law, the legislation not only addressed administrative relationships, but also sought to regulate church teachings and religious rites.

“There are other effective means to combat influence activities, so such extensive interference is not necessary,” he said, as reported by ERR.

The Minister for the Interior, Igor Taro, said that there would be another effort to “find constitutional ways to protect our religious community from aggressive Russian influence”.

He reiterated that the purpose of the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act “is to protect Estonia’s security and freedom of religion, and they do not in themselves entail the banning of Orthodoxy or any other religion”.

It is expected that relevant parliamentary committees will consider their next steps after the summer recess.