In Estonia, president declines to promulgate bill stating that parliament did not follow stipulated procedure

President Kersti Kaljulaid has declined to sign into effect a bill which would amend legislation governing collective agreements between employees and employers, on the grounds that it was not handled at the Riigikogu in line with the Estonian Constitution. The bill aimed to amend the Collective Agreements Act, plus related legislation, and had passed its Riigikogu vote, but the president said on Tuesday that, in her assessment, parliament had breached its own Rules of Procedure, as well as the Internal Rules Act, while processing the bill. The issue of contention was changes made to the bill between its second and third reading and concerning its entry into effect, the president added. [...] If the head of state declines to give her or his assent to a bill, it is returned to the Riigikogu, with the option of either passing the bill again unchanged, or starting the legislative process from the beginning. If this fails to solve the issue, the matter goes to the Supreme Court, with the Chancellor of Justice representing the state.
Read the full article here: ERR