Nordica
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th sitting, information briefing
Date: 2024-10-09 16:21
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 17
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 14m
AI Summaries: 17/17 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The eighth question of the information session addressed the situation of airline Nordica and management errors associated with it, highlighting parallels with the failure of Estonian Air. Member of the Riigikogu Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart (uIN2fJ9voPY) posed questions to Prime Minister Kaja Kallas regarding the repeated losses of the national airline, citing errors in management, the absence of strategic goals, and the government’s lukewarm interest. Kallas explained that Vladimir Svet, the Minister of Infrastructure, is now responsible for Nordica, but affirmed that, as Minister of Climate, she refused to inject additional taxpayer money into the company, and the government supported this position. The Prime Minister emphasized that Nordica is no longer a strategic enterprise for Estonia, especially since direct flights from Tallinn were discontinued in 2019. The company must now either manage on its own or its operations will be terminated, with assets (aircraft in the Transpordi Varahaldus) being separated. Kallas highlighted that the findings of the special audit she initiated have led to a preliminary investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office, which is assessing the legality of what transpired within the company. Varro Vooglaid (dSDfxfKs4Jw) sharply criticized the hundreds of millions of euros in losses and questioned the lack of accountability both within Nordica’s management and among government officials. Kallas affirmed that accountability must come from the company’s management level and that the Prosecutor’s Office is doing its job independently. The discussion concluded with Kovalenko-Kõlvart’s remark regarding the Prime Minister’s personal allusion to her master’s thesis.
Decisions Made 1
Decisions were not made.
Most Active Speaker
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart was an active questioner, posing both the original question and a clarifying question regarding Nordica's management failures and liability. She also made a procedural note concerning the Prime Minister’s personal remark.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Riigikogu today posed the eighth question to Prime Minister Kristen Michal. The questioner is Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, and the topic is Nordica.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Today's session of the special anti-corruption committee addressed Nordica in the context of the national airline. It raised questions regarding management failures, the ministry's lack of interest, the absence of strategic goals, and a lack of oversight, asking how this allows for the demise of the national airline, whether there are parallels with Estonian Air, and if this runs counter to the interests of the Estonian taxpayer.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal confirmed that Nordica has not been a strategic company for the Estonian state since 2019, and it will no longer be allocated taxpayer money. Instead, the company must manage on its own or be shut down, because the state prefers to invest in Tallinn Airport, and the Prosecutor's Office has provided an independent assessment regarding the results of the special audit.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The address stresses that your time is now, and it is time to take action.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
The Prime Minister said that subsidizing would not start here.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanks [the previous speaker] and invites Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart to ask a clarifying question.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The report raises questions about how the same individual managed to bankrupt Estonian Air and subsequently put Nordica into the red, why direct flights from Estonia were terminated, and whether Estonia truly needs a national carrier at all, or if Nordica should continue to serve as the state's airline.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the state should not subsidize the national airline merely due to a romantic notion, because Nordica does not qualify as a strategic enterprise. The operational risks are separated from the ownership of assets held by Transport Asset Management, and further decisions will be made based on the infrastructure minister's proposals and the management report.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speaker thanks the audience and asks Varro Vooglaid to ask a clarifying question.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid claims that the state-owned airline Nordica is heading toward bankruptcy, approximately 300 million euros of taxpayers' money has been squandered during this process, other airlines are also suffering due to market distortion, and nobody is taking responsibility for this damage.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar says that Varro Vooglaid’s time has come.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid asks whether anyone is going to be held accountable at all.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
He thanks and makes a request to Mr. Prime Minister.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal stresses that state-owned companies must take responsibility, pointing to the results of the special audit that reveal management deficiencies, and confirms both the independence of the prosecutor's office and the subsequent establishment of accountability.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the Prime Minister, announced that he was concluding the discussion of today's eighth question, and before moving on to the ninth question, asked Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart to raise her hand.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He describes how he asks the session chairmen when the presiding officer should intervene when he poses questions on important national issues and the prime minister mentions something about his master's thesis. He notes that he will do this again successfully, and better than the state, which fails to learn from its mistakes and has cost taxpayers tens of millions of euros due to the airline's bankruptcy.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar stated that he would not intervene regarding the substance, provided the response remained relevant to the topic, and noted that the Prime Minister had stayed on topic during the three minutes. However, their dream of getting to the questions for Vladimir Svet is still alive, and four more questions must be dealt with before they can do so.