Draft law amending the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (536 SE) – first reading
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-11-20 17:12
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 212
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 3h 3m
AI Summaries: 212/212 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The present agenda item concerns draft law 536 for amending the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the associated debate regarding the extension and restriction of suffrage in local government elections. The discussion will focus on three main aspects: the procedure for the first and second readings (the specifics of the constitutional amendment procedure; timeframes and conditions for submitting amendments), plus the definition of the electorate (citizens of Estonia, the European Union, and NATO countries versus individuals of undefined nationality and holders of grey passports). The draft law proposes allowing citizens of the European Union and NATO countries, as well as holders of grey passports, to participate in local elections while maintaining permanent suffrage, but recommends restricting the right to vote for citizens of those countries who do not fall under the sphere of protecting Estonia’s security and democratic interests. The debate will encompass the historical background, the balancing of democratic principles and geopolitical risks, and emphasize the need for broad consensus and legal clarity.
The second section concerns the practical implementation: how the amendments and supplementary regulations will come into force on the third reading, which procedural restrictions and safeguards should be applied, and how to ensure adherence to the rule of law. The discussion will also address the positions and observations of various political parties and interest groups regarding integration, legality, and security, and how different international practices may influence Estonia’s constitutional amendment and its national identity.
Decisions Made 2
First reading: Bill 536 did not receive the necessary support in its first reading; the vote result was 7 in favor, 79 against, with no abstentions. As a result, the first reading of the bill was terminated (the recall concerns the third reading and potential amendments).
The deadline for amendments was set: January 20, 2025, at 5:15 PM. This decision confirms how long initiators may submit amendments and how the procedure will continue in subsequent readings.
Most Active Speaker
Most active speaker, draft initiator; position: other
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi explained that the procedure for Constitutional Amendment Bill 536 follows the ordinary course — first and second readings, with at least three months between them, and at least one month between the second and third readings; for submitting amendment proposals there is a standard deadline, but it can be extended if the initiators propose it and the Riigikogu Speaker accepts it; regarding constitutional amendments there are three possible methods, and at the third reading the method of amendment is decided; two votes take place, and in cases of urgency the for-votes must outnumber the against-votes by four; to adopt it requires a two-thirds majority, i.e. at least 68 votes; after that, on behalf of the initiators, he requested that his esteemed colleague Eerik-Niiles Kross be given the floor.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross thanks and asks whether he has 20 minutes to spare.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Speech is simply an expression of assent – he only said 'Yes'.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross calls for amending the constitution so that in local elections only citizens of Estonia, the European Union, and NATO member states vote, and voting rights are preserved for stateless persons (holders of grey passes), justified by protecting democracy and security and reducing the influence of aggressor states.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Since this is such an important proposal, the chair, Toomas Kivimägi, will grant his colleagues five more minutes.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He notes with a hint of surprise that twenty minutes have already elapsed.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi answered simply and affirmatively.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross apologizes.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
They plan to try to get it done in five minutes.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker promises to finish their speech quickly.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech says, in short, that you have five minutes left.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Kross stresses the importance of ensuring legal certainty, explaining that grey-passport holders must not lose their right to vote without prior notice, and that they have permanent resident status and are protected by Estonian law and international law, therefore the citizenship argument does not apply; he is ready to quickly discuss amendment proposals and to adopt them in March, so that the matter would reach the next local elections.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Great thanks were given to the presenter for a thorough and logical presentation, and it was said that, since this is a draft bill to amend the Constitution, as an exception Varro Vooglaiu's question to the chair will be taken up before moving on to the questions.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid asked whether, in the case of an important bill or when a fellow party member is on the floor, one may freely deviate from the restrictions of the Rules of Procedure and grant additional speaking time, and which criteria will apply going forward when determining speaking time.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi stated that every constitutional amendment bill is very important, and that the 20-minute time allotted for the briefing, which the chair may extend by agreement, is fully in line with the Riigikogu's Rules of Procedure and Internal Regulations Act, and he then moved on to questions, starting with Aleksandr Chaplogin, please.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He emphasized that collective punishment—the removal of the voting rights of all Russian citizens—does not align with the principles of democracy and the rule of law, because there are Putin supporters among Estonian citizens as well.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross notes that although there has been a proposal to grant voting rights to citizens of foreign states because of their support for Putin, this is not legally tenable, and in the context of democracy and security, a large majority in the Riigikogu is convinced that citizens of foreign countries should not be allowed to vote in Estonia's elections.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks Signe Kivi to take the floor.
Signe Kivi
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Signe Kivi thanks you for the historical overview, emphasizes that the Estonian Constitution is a very good document, and that the people who participated in its drafting deserve praise, notes that the Constitution has been amended five times, and asks what is the most problematic and complex aspect in the context of today's amendment.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross notes that the draft's wording could create two kinds of voting rights and threaten the general, free, equal, direct and secret nature of elections, but emphasizes the state's sovereign discretion and the need to clarify the matter with constitutional experts.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
At the start of the speech, Andrei Korobeinik is invited onto the stage.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Korobeinik asks whether the security considerations submitted for changing the constitution truly improve the situation, and whether the loyalty of Russian citizens rises or falls, and whether the security situation is currently more complicated than in the early 1990s during the presence of the Russian military or than when the constitution was adopted.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross explains that the draft bill is not merely a security issue, but for the sake of protecting democracy and restoring the rule of law, and it helps reduce the risk of external financing, enables Russian citizens to participate in elections, and gives them a path to Estonian citizenship.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi invites Vadim Belobrovtsev to perform.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They clarify two claims: that obtaining Estonian citizenship is not easy for those who hold a Russian passport, and that Russia does not release you; they also emphasize that in many European countries third-country nationals can vote or run in local elections, and they ask whether this change would improve integration and create greater loyalty to the Estonian state.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech expresses gratitude.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that the simplification of renouncing Russian citizenship is not the central theme of the draft bill, but it may not significantly affect integration, may increase the importance of Estonian citizenship, and may arouse interest among grey-passport holders, but it is not a magic wand.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This speech is only a plea to invite Jaak Valge onto the stage.
Jaak Valge
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaak Valge stressed that the Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives want to restrict the right to vote to only citizens of the Republic of Estonia at all levels of elections, and do not support the right of persons with undetermined citizenship in the Constitution, and asked whether the bill would be referred to a public referendum if, before the third reading, it becomes clear that the votes needed for an urgent constitutional amendment will not be forthcoming.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross says that he must discuss the draft bill with its proposers, and so far it has not been on our agenda, therefore he does not know whether we are or are not.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asked Kert Kingo to speak.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo notes that, according to the Citizenship Act, the applicant must take a loyalty oath, but holders of gray passports with stateless status have not wanted to do this for decades, and he asks on what basis they are considered loyal to the Estonian state.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Kross said that permanent residents and holders of the right of residence are obligated to be loyal to Estonia, not to any other country, and this obligation arises from the Aliens Act, which requires respect for the laws and the Constitution of Estonia.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech was simply Margit Sutrop's invitation to speak.
Margit Sutrop
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Margit Sutrop emphasizes that there are two draft bills in the debate and 85 MPs supported revoking voting rights from citizens of aggressor states, and stresses Estonia's right to defend itself and the changing situation, and adds that it is now possible to obtain Estonian citizenship after acquiring the Estonian language, also referring to the decision made two years ago to move toward Estonian-language education.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks a good colleague.
Margit Sutrop
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
There is talk about learning the Estonian language and, subsequently, obtaining Estonian citizenship.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Since the 1995 Citizenship Act was adopted, this option has existed, and in addition to certain conditions one must acquire the Estonian language — this is one step on that long and arduous road we find ourselves on today.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, asks Anti Poolamets to take the floor.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets claims that the current draft bill may not align with the Reform Party's internal beliefs, and asks when they will stop dancing to the Social Democrats' tune and find more support from the opposition.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that he does not know the inner convictions of all Reform Party members, but personally the issue of citizenship has been very important to him since the 1990 article on Estonian citizenship published in Vikerkaar, in which he proposed ideas to create, after the end of the occupation, a category of non-citizens for those who are not Estonian citizens on the basis of the continuity criterion.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi invites Vladimir Arhipov to speak.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov emphasizes that internal security is a matter of democracy, which depends on the unity of society and its people, and on those from whom the right to vote is to be taken away, and he asks how many people are thereby driven away from loyalty to the Estonian state.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross notes that restricting the right to vote is a sensitive issue that could affect social cohesion, and although the Riigikogu wants to do it, democracy should not justify it, because the majority of Estonian voters are against it.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Varro Vooglaid to take the floor.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vooglaid emphasizes that before a law amendment is made, a thorough analysis of its impact on national security and social cohesion must be conducted, and that, without such analysis, the processing of draft bills is irresponsible.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that analyses should be conducted, but not by the legislature, but by security specialists, because otherwise we would be hypocritical, and we must be guided by justice and the voters' sense of justice and make bold, risky decisions.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chair invites Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski to perform.
Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski notes that she has recently been trying to talk with the dissenters and explain that Estonia does not want to punish anyone, but to think about justice and security, and asks how to reach out to these people or whether they are already lost to us.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross noted that the purpose of the constitution should not be merely integration policy, and for the sake of social cohesion one must maintain a balance of interests, but the political activity and voting rights of non-citizens are not protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, and this falls within the competence of the state's political structures, not a punishment.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is merely a plea to invite Andres Metsoja onto the stage.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
The presenter asks whether there is concealed citizenship among those who hold foreign passports, whether this topic was discussed during the drafting of the bill, whether data were collected about the number of these individuals and the reasons, and whether analyses indicated a security threat.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
In Estonia, grey passport holders are treated mainly as foreigners under the Aliens Act, although they are not entirely foreigners, and their residence permit and status fall under that law; holding more than one citizenship is a known risk, but the Constitution does not define this, and if it were a violation of the law, the respective authority would handle it, and the issue of voting rights is not resolved because of the passport of another country.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Former head of the Estonian Security Police, Arnold Sinisalu, doubts the necessity of depriving Russian and Belarusian citizens of their right to vote, because it could, instead of solving problems, create more problems and bring about a security threat.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Alexander Chaplygin to take the floor.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
I agree with him on this plan: it could create new threats and also give the Security Police new tasks, but that does not mean that it would not be the right step.
Heljo Pikhof
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Heljo Pikhof criticizes the draft bill, whose explanatory memorandum marks the countries that belong to our shared value space, because it would place the dividing line for most of the world’s countries on the other side and could undermine Estonia’s democratic governance and its credibility in the world.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Heljo Pikhofil to come forward.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
In local elections within the European Union, voting would be available mainly to citizens of the country and of the European Union, and visa regimes would be discriminatory, because citizenship defines the pool of voters.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chair Arvo Aller is presiding over the meeting, saying that at the moment a second question cannot be asked, but the registration of a second question is allowed, and he invites Lauri Laats to clarify.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats highlighted that in the early 1990s there arose an opportunity for people who did not meet the requirements of the 1938 Citizenship Act, and in the restoration of the state the principles of that Act were adopted regarding the restoration of citizenship, which left about 500,000 people stateless and created a gap in passport issuance that the Russian Federation took advantage of, until in 1995 the gray passport law was enacted during Tiit Vähi's government.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech calls on you to act, saying that it is your time.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
At that time the situation was very difficult: these people without Soviet citizenship could not obtain Estonian citizenship, and their integration into our society was not encouraged, although you claim the opposite.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross says that he did not claim the opposite.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vadim Belobrovtsev poses a question to the chair of the meeting before the next question.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
She defends her colleague Heljo Pikhof, saying that she asked her question already and that the presenter was ready to answer it, and therefore she should not ask it again.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller stressed that the chair of the meeting cannot tell the respondent whether he or she is answering it now or not.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Since the text only contains 'But I will answer Belobrovtsev …', it is not possible to produce a one-sentence summary.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller chairs the discussion, saying that the questions from Helle-Moonika Helme will be answered in order, and Heljo Pikhofi's question will be recalled.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme claims that the right to vote in Estonia must be reserved for Estonian citizens only, and the constitution must not include holders of grey passports with non-Estonian citizenship, because this threatens the Estonian nation-state and the future of children.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross asserts that the bill does not mean the destruction of the Estonian nation-state, emphasizing that the voting rights of non-citizens are currently enshrined in the constitution and that the bill aims to create a legal possibility to impose certain restrictions on this right to vote, while grey-passport holders currently have the right to vote under the constitution.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
At the start of the speech, Helir-Valdor Seeder was asked.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder noted that the content of the presentation remained clearly unexplained, and the bill’s strange provision links stateless persons and foreigners who have the right to vote, and he asked what exactly is meant there — is it a loyalty declaration or an ideological screening — and whether this applies at once or several times.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
There is a demand for a clear provision in the Constitution to enact restrictions, because as things stand they cannot be enacted, and the precise restrictions are the topic of the next debate.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul asks whether the intention to round up stateless persons and foreigners is accompanied by the creation of loyalty checks, and whether this would be written into the existing law or whether a new law is needed, under which one could check people's loyalty and register them to vote.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller asks that Priit Sibul be invited.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross notes that although the concept of ideological control has been widely used in the debate, it is not actually legally enforceable, and restrictions on voting rights can be imposed only through the Local Government Elections Act and the Aliens Act, and such imposition would be contrary to the Constitution and other laws, therefore the given sentence merely provides a legal basis for holding these discussions at the legislative level.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Andrei Korobeiniku to speak.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Andrei Korobeinik asks who will be able to vote once the law is passed and the constitution is amended, and why Ukrainian and Moldovan citizens who hold a long-term residence permit in Estonia are left out of this circle, and what considerations apply to them.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He said that the circle of voters is limited to the citizens of Estonia, the European Union, and NATO member states; Ukraine is not currently among them, but if Ukraine ever belongs there, Ukrainian citizens will also be able to vote.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Vadim Belobrovtsev to speak.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Belobrovtsev notes that several respected institutions—the authors of the Constitution, the ombudsman, and the former director of the Security Police—are of the opinion that amending the Constitution is not a good idea, and asks whether the initiators' authority is greater than the opinions of their experts.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He said that although these people are respected, changing the constitution is not within their purview, and the decision rests with the initiators.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Andrei Korobeinik asked the chair of the meeting a question.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Andrei Korobeinik expressed deep concern that the attention of the chair of the meeting and the presenter would drift away, and questions would go unanswered, noting that this is important because they plan to amend the constitution.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The chair of the meeting explained that questions would be answered and would not be repeated, and when asked about the voting rights of Ukrainian citizens, the answer was that they cannot vote because they are not members of NATO or the European Union; further additions can be made after Rene Koka's question.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Speaking about the phenomenon of gray passports, Eerik-Niiles Kross said that in Estonia this has historically arisen and is a relatively unique phenomenon, where gray-passport holders are, in terms of international law, virtually indigenous, who lack citizenship, and this cannot be resolved through the right to vote, and it is not comparable to laws elsewhere in Europe.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a short prayer in which one turns to Kert Kingo.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo asked why gray passport holders, i.e., people who have undetermined citizenship and a residence permit in Estonia, would not be loyal to the Estonian state, and why they could be given voting and decision-making rights on domestic issues, and how they differ from other non-citizens.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They explain that certain permanent residents have gained the right to vote in the 1992 referendum, but they lack the loyalty obligation inherent to a citizen, and therefore they cannot vote for the Riigikogu or fulfill military service; legally their status is not the same as that of citizens, although they are not loyal to any other country.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This speech is merely a plea to Varro Vooglaid.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid emphasized that there is a need to prepare dependent analyses, whether the steps under consideration reduce security risks or increase them, and although these analyses should be prepared by law enforcement authorities, members of the Riigikogu must have the opportunity to view these analyses and to ask questions of their authors.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Kross emphasizes that threat analyses are conducted continuously and may be read by those who hold a state secrets clearance and by members participating in the work of the commission, but he does not claim that a security issue is being resolved; instead, the focus is on reorganizing the legal space, on trust issues, and on questions about the democratic system.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The presenter invites Vladimir Arhipov to speak.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
They claim that urgent bills are passed without sufficient analysis, which could threaten security and democracy, and whose real aim is to weaken competitors, such as the Centre Party, and they rhetorically ask why trustworthy defense, rescue, and medical workers should not be allowed to vote in elections.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross emphasizes that the Riigikogu is elected only by citizens, but at local elections non-citizens and citizens of foreign countries may vote, which, in his view, should not be the case, because citizenship is important in the country.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy chairman Arvo Aller asks Tanel Kiiki to come and speak.
Tanel Kiik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tanel Kiik asks why the chamber should vote for this proposed bill, as opposed to the proposal of other opposition members on the issue of non-citizens' voting rights.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He emphasizes that although he does not have to choose between two options, he recommends his own draft because the bill submitted by 61 MPs has a considerably higher likelihood of being adopted than the bill submitted by 26 MPs.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Lauri Laatsi to speak.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that restricting the right to vote must conform to the constitution and international norms and calls for strong arguments; otherwise it may threaten the fundamental principles of democracy, and he stresses that regardless of citizenship, people work and must not be excluded from society.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The central idea of the speech is: your time has come.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats criticizes the practice of asking a healthcare worker for a passport and depriving him of the right to vote, and asks how he should feel in such a situation — doesn't that remind you of an undemocratic society?
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that the discussion is taking place at the level of legal categories, not emotions, and, in his opinion and in the opinion of a majority of Riigikogu members, it is time to end the situation where citizens of Russia, Belarus and other countries can vote in Estonia.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Rain Epler onto the stage.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler asks why no draft bill has emerged that would stipulate that Estonian citizens can vote in local government elections, and asks for an explanation of its background.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross emphasizes the need to balance the legal systems of the European Union and NATO, to provide a transition period for gray passport holders, and to explain that if Estonian citizenship is not granted to them, their voting rights may disappear.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Lauri Laats asks the chair of the meeting a question.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats said that the presenter did not answer substantive questions and asked whether, in the case of a bill submitted by 61 people, it would be possible to find someone among them who could answer, and whether this is procedurally possible.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The chair of the meeting, Arvo Aller, said that the rapporteur is appointed by the Constitutional Committee, and that it was agreed there that the rapporteur would be one of the presenters and initiators, and the answer to the previous question was time-limited, and now an opportunity to ask a question was given to Ants Frosch.
Ants Frosch
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ants Frosch noted in the debate that the regulation of local self-government emerged in the 1992 Constitution, and that the original idea originates from the 1990 issue of the magazine Vikerkaar, which he reviews on Digar; he emphasized the need to realize the ideal scenario in today's political reality, and finally posed a question about the legitimate expectations of gray-pass holders and Estonian citizens.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross emphasizes that Estonia does not take citizens' rights away without prior notice, and the principle of legality requires that rights do not disappear without warning, but the issue of voting rights for Russian and Belarusian citizens and the changed security situation may create a legitimate expectation that Estonia intends to override it.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Martin Helmet to speak.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme claims that the draft bill that would grant non-citizens the right to vote is not factually correct, and that bringing it to the constitutional level would be a new, strongly guaranteed right for non-citizens, and he emphasizes the issue of legitimate expectations and equality, and calls on the opposition to discuss the topic seriously between the two readings.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He noted that he is ready to discuss removing the voting rights of grey passport holders, if there is a clear legal argument and its implementation takes place with a certain delay.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Priit Sibul to perform.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul said that he does not have a reasonable answer to the constitutional amendment, which aims to entrench and uniformly determine the right to vote for stateless persons and citizens of third countries, and he asked how those behind it were consulted and how it was decided that Turkish citizens may participate in local elections under certain conditions, but citizens of Norway, Australia and Switzerland may not.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He said that it is reasonable to delineate a circle of states, focusing on the European Union and, if necessary, involving NATO, while emphasizing that such delimitation does not change the relations among friendly states, and non-EU/NATO countries can be friends.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a brief plea to invite Helir-Valdor Seeder.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder criticizes that the content of delegating the registration of foreigners and stateless persons has not been agreed, emphasizing that if this clause is written in, it must establish registries and develop the corresponding law and information-technology systems on a timetable, and he doubts whether the initiators, the Social Democrats, have the trap as their aim and that rapid implementation is not possible.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
According to Kross, the aim of the section is to create a legal basis for the adoption of such a law, the conditions are challengeable, the voters' lists and registries exist, and updating them is not a problem, and although it has been stated that the bill will be dealt with immediately and will be adopted at the same time as the constitutional amendment, we cannot adopt it yet.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Kalle Grünthal to speak.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal describes the moment of the constitution's emergence as a tension between the people's sovereign rights and the obligation to create a constitutional order that enables peaceful coexistence, and emphasizes that the constitution is not only a legal document but also a political and cultural document, and affirms the Chancellor of Justice's position that at a political moment the constitution must not be undermined.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that he would submit a draft to amend the constitution, because the circle of eligible voters that arose as a result of the 1992 occupation has changed by now, and it is time to make a correction.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech is simply a plea to invite Rene Kokk.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk emphasizes that we must not allow situations to arise where stateless people obtain a grey passport and, with it, also the right to vote, because this could bring convenience refugees to Estonia and endanger the constitutional order.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Holding a permanent residence permit or a foreigner's passport does not immediately grant the right to vote; integration obligations and screening criteria apply, and if necessary they are tightened, and the right to vote will gradually become available in the future, not automatically.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Mart Helme to speak.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme finds that there is no legal confusion, cites the 1993 decision to grant the right to vote in local elections to all permanent residents of Estonia, and warns that for the sake of short-term political gain one must not begin to restrict or extend the voting rights of people of Ukrainian origin, as this could bring long-term instability.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This message says that now is your time.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme poses a rhetorical question, asking whether you cannot foresee it.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross noted that the voting rights of grey-passport holders are written into the constitution and confirmed by a referendum, and although he spoke about this already in 2014 on the Crimea topic, we have finally reached a point where probably a critical mass of Riigikogu members has understood that it is essential, albeit unfortunately too late—better late than never.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This speech is merely a short plea addressed to the person Anti Allas.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas thanks for the well-balanced discussion and presents two questions: in which Estonian municipalities is the percentage decline of the electorate the greatest, and how small could the most legitimate minimum number of permanent residents be to make decisions for the territory of a single municipality.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He notes that there are no exact numbers, but in Estonia the share of Russian-speaking voters is about 20%, and although he talks about a disproportionately large portion of permanent residents' voting rights being restricted, this percentage is nowhere higher than 10–20%.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech contained a prayer to Rain Epler.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler asked whether he had understood correctly that what distinguishes you and many of your party colleagues from an ideal world is that the Social Democrats are in the coalition, and if the answer is yes, then it's not that hard to change this fact.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that although different factions have different positions, especially on the topic of grey passes, some steps have been taken to bring them closer to each other, and the possibility of an agreement has not disappeared.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu said that the government coalition has held the Social Democrats hostage for two years, and although their pressure, backed by public opinion, has begun to recede, the hostage crisis remains in the draft's substantive quality, and the Parliament should not hold itself hostage to it, but should discuss whether the government coalition could release itself from this agreement and give Members of Parliament a free hand to shape their own position, including the constitutional question of the voting rights of stateless persons.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller presented a brief prayer, asking Urmas Reinsalu to come forward.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech says that now is your time to act.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu's speech addresses the question of its denial.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that he represents 61 members of the Riigikogu and not a single faction, and stressed that we are free in our mandate before the constitutional order, and that he has not given anyone any instructions on how to vote.
Ants Frosch
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ants Frosch said that the debate over legal certainty and legitimate expectation will continue, and in the context of draft bill 536, it is necessary to explain how we ensure reciprocity between NATO member states and EU citizens.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
At the beginning of the speech, Ants Frosch is invited to speak.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
According to Kross, a constitutional amendment is not the solution, because we have created a system ourselves in which citizens of foreign countries who live in Estonia as permanent residents can vote in local elections, and he doubts whether the right of Estonian citizens to vote in local elections abroad (for example in the USA, Canada, Turkey) is at all important.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Evelin Poolametsa to speak.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
They ask whether an impact assessment or surveys have been conducted and how this amendment affects the behavior of Russian and Belarusian citizens, and whether a situation could arise in which they apply for the so-called grey passport in order to preserve their voting rights.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that Estonia's aim is to reduce the number of stateless people, and obtaining a grey passport upon renunciation of Russian citizenship is not practically possible, although Estonia is not a party to the conventions in this field.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller says that Urmas Reinsalu may register himself as a question, but for now there is a hand gesture and he asks Kalle Grünthal to take action.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal states that the submitted draft does not comply with applicable law or with the requirements of good legislation and normative-technical standards, and there is a lack of both a development plan/intention to develop, a concept, and an assessment of the law's impact, accusing it of haste and breaches of procedure and pointing to the lack of information about the number of Russians in the city.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Members of the Riigikogu have the right to submit bills both individually and in bulk, and amendments may be submitted only with the signatures of at least one-fifth of the members, and the obligation to prepare a development concept does not apply.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Jaanus Karilaidi to speak.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid expressed surprise and concern about the constant emphasis on the security obligation and asked for a practical explanation of what it actually means and what real consequences could arise in the future, for example street riots or the impact on hospital work.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross admits that he cannot read other people's thoughts or provide substantive answers to the emotional Laats, and cannot describe the feelings of a person who has lost the right to vote; perhaps because of that, this security threat is somehow related, but I am not entirely convinced of it.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Siim Pohlak onto the stage.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak emphasizes that the issue is serious and urgent, and the government coalition should demonstrate statesmanship, engage the opposition substantively, and consider their amendment proposals in order to find broad-based common ground and avoid political games.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross states that the constitution can be amended only on the basis of cross-party consensus, emphasizes the importance of substantive dialogue, and that, according to the committee’s proposal, a month was given to submit amendment proposals (not ten days), and that the exact procedural details remain in the remit of the chair of the Constitutional Committee, but the bill’s sponsors are ready for substantive discussion.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu said that Estonia is considering granting voting rights at the constitutional level to stateless people and to those with long-term residence permits, while raising concerns about the actual situation of people with dual citizenship and people with Russian citizenship.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman invited Urmas Reinsalu to take the floor.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a short, compelling call to action that says: your time is now.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu asks whether this is appropriate and reasonable, and whether two groups of people should indeed be under the Constitution's protection with regard to voting rights.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross stressed that laws are made in good faith, and although there are problems with the grey passport and dual citizenship, the second sentence of the draft bill could allow the setting of conditions for voting rights — for example, in a case where a person has obtained a passport due to false information and falls under the grey passport — but he noted that this arrangement could give rise to legal problems.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Arvo Aller turns to Evelin Poolamets and asks her.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Poolamets stressed that the conditions for issuing a foreigner's passport must be known precisely, and he recommended consulting the Police and Border Guard Board's website, where the requirements for the passport application are described in detail, and he noted that, in developing the amendment to the law, there has been no discussion about how a gray passport would be obtained and what its consequences would be for Russian citizens.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross notes that it is not worth overemphasizing the details of the grey passport application, focusing on the demographic and citizenship situation, and he doubts that Russian citizens in Estonia would renounce Russian citizenship in order to vote in local elections; rather, they would apply for Estonian citizenship, and there are no objections to that.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Jaanus Karilaidi to speak.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid asks what motivates grey passport holders, highlighting their privileges in the European Union and the Russian Federation, and wishes to enshrine in the constitution a simple principle: only citizens of the Republic of Estonia may vote in local elections.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Kross notes that he has explained this several times already, does not intend to repeat legal arguments, and that we are at the beginning of this long road of amending the law, hoping that further arguments will follow.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Mart Maastik to come forward.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The landscape emphasized that the Constitution's preamble must ensure the preservation of the Estonian nation, language, and culture, and asked which of the two draft proposals—the opposition-restricting voting rights for Estonian citizens, or the coalition's solution reminiscent of Brezhnev's package—better fulfills this aim.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross claims that the draft bill we submitted is better aligned with several constitutional norms, but why he thinks so is a separate debate.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets notes that the current security situation is not final, and in the event of a possible internal conflict in Russia tens of thousands of Russian citizens could flow here, and a question arises as to whether non-citizens and holders of a grey passport could obtain the right to vote, which would give them power.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller turns to Anti Poolamets and asks him.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross emphasizes that in the current situation there is no need to bring thousands of Russian citizens here, since they are already here and can vote in local elections, and the bill will solve this problem, although it is possible to imagine scenarios in which the state sends away or a larger group flees, and in such scenarios the question of voting rights in local elections is not the primary concern.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Siim Pohlak is invited to speak.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
This is a question concerning the national dignity of Estonians: should the right to vote belong only to Estonian citizens, or could it extend to people with a gray passport, and why was the second option chosen.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross emphasizes that the state should base voting rights on citizenship and the law, and 60,000 people who are not citizens of Estonia or of any other country are ours and must be kept closer to us without pushing them away.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is merely a request to invite Mart Maastik onto the stage.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik emphasized that the constitution will probably be amended not within one or two years, but for a longer period, referring to the Swedish experience, where the easy granting of voting rights to citizens of third countries and to future immigrants may lead to similar problems, and noted that we currently have about 60,000 Russian-speaking people.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that in Estonia citizenship is not granted to third-country nationals, and there are borders for stateless individuals, and a sense of belonging to a place must be preserved; in the future he does not foresee tens of thousands of such people, and copying the Swedish model is not planned; the discussion about the wording of the Constitution and the gray passport issue is open, and proposals are welcome.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Tõnis Mölder to speak.
Tõnis Mölder
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He apologized that part of the discussion went unheard, and asked whether a legal analysis has been prepared for implementing the draft, what the possible bottlenecks and risks that could hinder its implementation are, what the president's considerations are and the Chancellor of Justice's position, and asked the initiator to provide an assessment that Russian and Belarusian citizens will still be able to vote in the 2025 local elections.
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Eerik-Niiles Kross said that they plan to consult with the Chancellor of Justice and hope that during the proceedings the draft will be commented on, so that if it is adopted by March it will not fall under the Supreme Court's constitutional review.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman, Arvo Aller, thanked everyone and said that there were no more questions, and asked that the discussion that took place in the steering committee be forwarded to the chairman of the Constitutional Committee, Hendrik Johannes Terras.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
The Constitutional Committee discussed, at its November 12 session, the draft bill on the voting rights of stateless persons and foreigners and the conditions of voter lists, compared with Latvian practice, and stressed the need to involve legal experts and members of the Constitutional Assembly, and decided to close the first reading unanimously and to set the deadline for amendment proposals at January 20, 2025 at 5:15 p.m.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
During the speech, questions are asked and Tõnis Mölder is asked to answer.
Tõnis Mölder
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tõnis Mölder pointed to what was shown in the video, where allegedly the party and its faction had the ambition to restrict the voting rights of grey passport holders, and asked whether this could have been pushed even more forcefully in the committee, or whether it was a restriction due to political consensus.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
Hendrik Johannes Terras said that the committee will continue the thorough discussion of the draft, involve legal experts and members of the Constitutional Assembly, and has already contacted the Chancellor of Justice to find wording that would secure as broad support as possible within three months.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Arvo Aller will announce the opening of the negotiations and say that factions will be able to participate in them, and on behalf of the Isamaa faction, Helir-Valdor Seeder will speak.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
They request a total of eight minutes for the duration of the call.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller asked to grant three more minutes.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder said that the draft bill to amend the constitution is incomplete and must not enshrine the voting rights of stateless persons in the constitution, accused the Social Democrats of manipulating the electorate, and called on the Reform Party and Estonia 200 to vote freely and to continue the proceedings in order to find a common result.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a call to action — your time has come.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
He also calls for support for the second bill so that, during the proceedings, these can be merged and the maximum common ground can be found.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chair then called Ando Kiviberg from the Eesti 200 faction, and Kiviberg requested three additional minutes.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg stressed that Estonia must act in unison to defend its historical continuity and to ensure security, and he supported the presented draft as a coalition compromise to restrict the voting rights of citizens of aggressor states in local elections.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller submitted a plea on behalf of Martin Helme and asked for three more minutes.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme stressed that in Estonia the right to vote must be restricted to Estonian citizens in all elections, criticized the coalition's plan to rush through a constitutional amendment and labeling, and demanded a compromise and a debate to take place within three months.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy chairman, Arvo Aller, said that Andre Hanimägi is indeed in the parliamentary group and has a mandate, but he acts on behalf of the Estonian Social Democratic Party's parliamentary group.
Andre Hanimägi
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Andre Hanimägi stressed that amending the constitution is a major step that requires broad-based discussion and consensus, and the aim of the draft is to define the voting right in local elections so that Estonian and European Union citizens, citizens of NATO member states, and stateless persons may vote, but those who hold passports of third countries do not have this right.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
This is a request for two more minutes.
Andre Hanimägi
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Andre Hanimägi describes that in the second bill there is a plan to create separate agreements with third countries that would allow a citizen of some country to vote in local elections, but he regards this idea as impractical and uncertain, stressing that the constitution must be as precise as possible and that the complexity and legal clarity encoded in international treaties may arise, and that the decision should be made based on a person's conduct rather than their passport, calling on everyone to vote for the bill, because it has substantial overlap and a practically enforceable impact already before next year's local elections.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chair thanks, and on behalf of the Centre Party faction requests the floor for Lauri Laats in the Riigikogu; Lauri Laats asks for three more minutes.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that restricting voting rights for Russian citizens and holders of gray passports will not increase security, but rather it is necessary to foster statecraft and integration, and finally he states that the bill cannot be approved and a decision to reject will be made.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks whether this is a proposal to reject.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They express a brief assent and emphasize that the matter is exactly so.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The leading committee's proposal is to conclude the first reading of Bill 536, but the Estonian Centre Party faction proposed to postpone the first reading and proceed to the preparation for a vote; before the vote, the issue of the procedure for conducting the session will be discussed.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal said that this is a motion to reject, and since it is not a regular vote, in an unregulated situation the principle of a two-thirds majority applies under §127 of the Riigikogu's Rules of Procedure and Internal Regulations and §166 of the Constitution, and the same requirement also applies to bringing the draft forward for consideration.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar puts to a vote the Centre Party faction's proposal to reject the draft Constitutional Amendment Act No. 536 at the first reading.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, announced that the first reading of Bill 536 ended with the result of 7 in favor, 79 against, and there were no abstentions; the deadline for submitting amendments is January 20 next year at 17:15.