Foolishness
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, information briefing
Date: 2025-01-22 15:05
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 12
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 10m
AI Summaries: 12/12 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The agenda focused on Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’s responses and included a discussion on three main topics: firstly, the widely publicized and socially relevant question of “it’s hard to be stupid” and the resulting debate and survey results; secondly, the financial operations through KredEx regarding the Nordica loan between 2020 and 2024, including a previous €8 million loan and delayed disbursements, with questions raised about whether decisions were informed or rather symbolic, and whether they reflected a broader political preference; and thirdly, a discussion on the requirement of legal education for the position of state secretary, concerning the position's autonomy and impact on constitutional requirements, and within the context of public administration reform. All topics raised questions about responsibility, transparency, and the need for reforms, highlighting the positions of different political parties and the government's approaches.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made during the discussion. The focus was on providing explanations and discussing the direction of a future reform; no specific parliamentary decisions or legislation were adopted at this stage.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Mart Maastik (pid TTBOpGaQCWM). He raised and developed questions, participating and illuminating the topic of the Nordica loan, as well as the role of the state secretary and the future requirements for education – his position could generally be noted as "other" (not clearly representing either the left or right political bloc in this context).
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The next question is for Prime Minister Kristen Michal, and the questioner is a good colleague Mart Maastik.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik asks the prime minister whether the claim “it’s hard to be stupid” really reflects reality, taking into account Infotund’s comments, Loretta Kruusimäe’s article, and the discussion held at the Tallinn Bridge Club, and asks at the same time whether, under conditions of strong political competition in which responsibility is often not taken, stupidity is really hard or easy to be.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal addresses the topic with humor, calling it timely and risky, referring to poll results that show it is better to be smart, and notes in a self-ironic tone that the Centre Party has previously submitted the same proposal.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi invited Mart Maastik to present a clarification question.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik asks whether the 2020 loan to Nordica, provided through KredEx, and the 1.5 million euro payout approved in 2024, which was made to the insolvent Nordica last spring, were done knowingly or were sheer stupidity, and whether the aim was to avert Nordica's bankruptcy in order to associate with the office of the climate minister and to become prime minister in a calm manner.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal explains that Nordica lent KredEx 8 million in 2020, and the government did not decide to make any additional disbursements; the decision to stop flying from Tallinn in 2019 made the company non-strategic and it should have been privatized, and the experts' recommendations and questions about the 2020 decision-makers have been highlighted.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi invited an additional question from the audience and asked Anastasia Kovalenko-Kõlvarti to pose a question.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart asks about ensuring the state secretary's legal education requirement and professional autonomy, in light of the constitutional commentaries, taking into account that the office is becoming political and the state secretary becomes mainly a leader, and that analyses are carried out by lawyers, and she asks the prime minister for her own view in the context of today's amendment.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the post of State Secretary does not require a legal education, and that changes are needed in state governance, and he agrees with the bill presented by the Centre Party, Isamaa, and the Social Democrats.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, thanks the listeners.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
The post of State Secretary may now be filled by a person with higher education.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks and announces that he is terminating the consideration of this matter.