Inquiry Regarding the Involvement of Interest Groups (no. 656)
Session: Fifteenth Riigikogu, Fourth Session, Plenary Session
Date: 2024-11-18 17:25
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 49
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 11m
AI Summaries: 49/49 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Thematic agenda summary: Today, in the Riigikogu, the content of four inquiries was addressed, along with two larger discussions focusing on the quality of stakeholder involvement, economic sustainability, and legislative culture. The first inquiry concerned stakeholder involvement, presented by Urmas Reinsalu and co-presenters, with Urmas Reinsalu delivering the presentation from the Riigikogu speaker’s chair. This addressed the transparency of decision-making processes, the quality and trustworthiness of involvement methods, which are critical for businesses and economic sectors. The second inquiry recalled the October protest by entrepreneurship organizations and highlighted a five-part set of questions concerning the involvement cycle for income tax and value-added tax bills, express deadlines, and the proper involvement in electricity market reforms. The third part saw the Prime Minister responding to the inquiries, explaining the government's positions, the intention of the security tax, and the effort to ensure tax peace and clarity for entrepreneurs. The fourth part turned to topics concerning legislative practices, adherence to the principles of good legislation, and the cuts and changes implemented by various governments in the areas of land tax and the state budget, emphasizing the importance of involvement and transparency and discussing how to apply the legal system and regulatory techniques. In summary, the agenda marked a deepening of specific discussions and criticisms regarding the impact of the government's economic policy and involvement measures.
Decisions Made 4
No decisions were made within the framework of this agenda item. Questions were answered and discussed, but no binding decisions by parliament were formalized during this sitting.
The decisions concerned clarifications within the discussion and periodically presented responses, rather than the adoption of new legislation or bills. Further steps may need to be considered at subsequent parliamentary sessions, depending on the outcome of the discussion.
In all cases, the form and content of decisions were left for coordination during the alignment phase. Therefore, both parties are collaborating and clarifying positions for subsequent discussions.
The topics concerning adherence to inclusion policies and legislative drafting principles continued in discussion, and preparations for the next sessions will be made to prepare potential amendment proposals.
Most Active Speaker
The most active representative on this agenda item was Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa). He initiated the inquiry and actively participated in posing questions and directing the discussion. His position in the Riigikogu is on the right-hand side, but outside the coalition, with an emphasis on rather conservative-national interests. He drew attention to the quality of the integration policy and stressed the need for a stable and predictable economic policy that business organizations value.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Today there are four interpellations on the agenda; the first concerns the involvement of interest groups submitted on October 16, and Urmas Reinsalu is invited to speak at the Riigikogu rostrum.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu, on the floor of the Riigikogu, presented a protest by 40 Estonian business organizations against the government's economically hostile policy, posed five brief questions and urged the prime minister to answer them, emphasizing the need for trust and stability in the face of the economy's decline.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker Lauri Hussar thanks and asks that the Riigikogu grant the floor to Prime Minister Kristen Michal to respond to the interpellation.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the government has decided to implement a broad-based security tax until 2028 to ensure funding for security and the stability of the economic environment, stressed tax stability and clarity, and explained energy market reforms and the 10% cuts in state budget expenditures to align with the European Union's budget framework.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanks the esteemed Prime Minister, notes that there are many questions, and the first to want to ask a question is Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart expresses concern that although there is talk of involving stakeholder groups, the real issue is the critique of legislative policy: data show that the critique from entrepreneurs must be heard, stakeholder groups are given too little time to express their opinions, and for many state-budget-related bills, coordination and publication of opinions fall short of five working days. Recently raised claims that the development concept does not need to be drafted or to seek stakeholders' opinions force one to think which side she supports—the minister's criticism or the claims of Yoko Alender and Vladimir Sveta.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that if it is possible to discuss changes in society that work for a longer and more thorough period, this should be done and one should move forward with it. He recalled that about 12–13 years ago, as Minister of Justice, he created and established the principles of good legislation, and he noted that the mentioned proposal came from the ministry's austerity plan, not from the proposal defended by Sveti and Alenderi, but it was the will to save costs and to simplify the proceedings.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar invited Urmas Reinsalu onto the stage.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu accuses the government of violating the principles of good legislation, emphasizes the coalition agreement's 10% cost-cutting target, and asks for a concrete answer as to how much the economic and payroll costs, as well as subsidies, have decreased in 2025 compared with the 2024 budget.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal stressed that in drafting bills one must follow good legislative practice and become familiar with them, and he also recommended that he himself stay up to date in his own field and read Ardo Hansson's article, in which after the crisis the state's share in the economy declines and labor and overhead costs decrease.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker Lauri Hussar requests that Jaanus Karilaid be invited.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid asks how the prime minister handles inclusion and criticism, and whether silencing criticism does not threaten democracy, and whether the expression of opinions should not occur only as open debate.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that inclusion and open discussion are important, but in the context of Russian aggression, a security tax must cover rising defense expenditures and procure additional ammunition totaling 1.6 billion euros in 2025–2031, therefore cuts must be made that affect everyone except teachers, police officers, military personnel, and pensioners, and if these steps are taken, the Estonian state is protected, decisions are clear, tax stability remains, and the economy will grow.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar invited Mart Maastik to speak.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik asked how the government could deliver the promised 10% reduction in spending, when the actual savings are only about 1% and the tax festival does not help the economy.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the budget must be clearer and easier to understand, and the coalition has taken on this obligation; the Finance Committee and the Ministry of Finance are dealing with it. The tax festival will not continue, and the government will not impose any additional taxes beyond the broad security tax.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Lauri Laats.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats criticizes the fact that, in the name of continuing the tax festival, proposals are being made that change the date on which pensions are paid and take away the support for pensioners living alone in nursing homes, without consultation with stakeholder groups, and asks whether this is really good legislation.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the government has found common ground between Isamaa and the Centre Party, and that they are discussing the regional level of notary fees, the differentiation of taxes and fees, and in addition issues of the timing of pension payments, supporting pensioners living alone, and the modernization of IT systems in the social sector.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asks Helir-Valdor Seeder to take the floor.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder says that we have two different legislative cultures and criticizes the government for the fact that, after a ten-year process of the land tax, a sudden 50–100% increase was made without coordination, which threatens entrepreneurs and homeowners and undermines the reputation of Parliament as a whole, and he asks why such policy is being promoted.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
They emphasized that the parliament is sovereign in a sovereign democracy, and that sound rules for lawmaking apply to the executive; therefore, the parliament is free.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speech is simply a plea to invite Vladimir Arhipov onto the stage.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov asks how the involvement of stakeholder groups would actually have an impact, why the voice of the majority of applicants is not taken into account, and points to the substantive emptiness of funding for pensioners’ associations and the so-called education agreement, which leads to involvement remaining formal.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that funding for pensioner associations is based on a competitive process, and if cuts have to be made, they should be made across all sectors, and the debate must be based on arguments, with open participation and a search for compromises.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar thanked his colleagues and explained that in the case of parliamentary inquiries a member of the Estonian Parliament may submit one question, and he can only accept Tõnis Lukase's question.
Tõnis Lukas
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Tõnis Lukas discussed tax forecasts and the car-purchase boom, noting that while one-off taxes are collected immediately, annual taxes are collected later, and he asked, from a climate perspective, whether older or newer, more environmentally friendly cars are being purchased.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that precise purchasing trends are not known, but a prudent person chooses a car according to their needs, avoids excessive pollution, and is efficient in every respect, including electric cars, which save fuel at a given mileage, and in Estonia the used-car market is growing, and people's consumption should be economical and environmentally friendly.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar thanks the prime minister, announces the end of questions and opens negotiations, requesting Urmas Reinsalu, in his capacity as representative of the Riigikogu’s questioners at the rostrum, and Reinsalu asks for three more minutes.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu stated that the prime minister's policy of cutting permissible government operating expenditures is illusory, because costs are actually increasing (including defense investments), uncertainty arises, and people's sense of security and entrepreneurs' prospects decline, threatening the future of Estonia's economy.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
They thanked and explained that the stenography department handles the stenogram, and for checking all important circumstances you can review the stenogram, after which they invited Lauri Laats to the Riigikogu's microphone.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker asks for three more minutes and greets the honorable Speaker of the Riigikogu, colleagues, the prime minister, and the people who follow us on the internet, mentioning Tõnis Lukas.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speaker asks for a moment and announces that three minutes of extra time have already been added, and calls Lauri.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
In his speech, Lauri Laats expresses criticism of the government's course that favors electric cars, highlights the conditions of cobalt mining and the opacity of battery production, China’s dominance, and the impact of these problems on the environment and the economy, emphasizes the opposition's lack of mandate and the need for involvement, and warns that support for pensioners living alone must not change.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker thanked and invited Helir-Valdor Seeder to the Riigikogu's speaking podium.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder criticizes the prime minister's tax policy as taking place at an inopportune moment of the tax festival, and emphasizes that the constitutional amendment concerning the voting rights of citizens of the Russian state and stateless persons has dragged on for a long time, while the land tax example illustrates the need to publish pre-election plans and to better adjust the legal framework.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks to grant three minutes of extra time.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder states that a broad-based compromise was reached in the Riigikogu, in which the opposition and the coalition voted together and which was also agreed to by landowners, entrepreneurs and homeowners, but the coalition changed the plan after the elections and planned a 50% increase in the land tax for next year and a 100% increase for the year after next, which undermined the rule of law and public trust in the state and shows the need to end the two-faced culture of lawmaking, and he awaits the prime minister's acknowledgment that something went wrong.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and now asks that the floor be given to colleague Mart Maastik.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik emphasizes that the state should not exclude entrepreneurial organizations from decision-making, and raising taxes and excises during an economic downturn is wrong; therefore one must listen to entrepreneurs' opinions and find common ground.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar said that three minutes of extra time will be added to the game.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik invites both entrepreneurs and opposition politicians to listen, and notes that an expensive and short-sighted energy policy, together with projects carried out such as Auvere, Nordica, and the Saaremaa offshore wind farms, harms nature and competitiveness, and without learning from the past we won't get anywhere.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, thanks the assembly, announces the end of requests to speak, and invites Mr. Prime Minister to take the floor, who answers yes and begins to speak.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal presented a plan whose core is to increase the competitiveness of the economy through direct cooperation with entrepreneurs, the rapid development of the defense industry, permanent funding for aid to Ukraine (0.25% of GDP annually), ensuring tax stability, simplifying regulations, and advancing large investments, energy savings, and Rail Baltica.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar asks whether the prime minister needs more time.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
He emphasizes that he also wants to ask questions.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair announces three minutes of extra time and continues with Lauri Laatsi's time request.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced the results of Nordica's special audit and the possibilities of privatization or bankruptcy, and said that all materials are accessible to Members of Parliament, and stressed at the same time that the sidewalk is for pedestrians and that parking cars there is a deliberate decision.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks everyone, closes the negotiations, and ends the consideration of today's first agenda item.