The second reading of the draft resolution (479 OE) of the Riigikogu concerning "The use of the Defence Forces in fulfilling Estonia’s international obligations in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization or member state, European Union, or United Nations-led international military operation, upon its initial contribution"
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, 4th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-12-04 18:31
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 35
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 42m
AI Summaries: 35/35 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Agenda item number 11 concerned the second reading of Riigikogu (Parliament) bill 479, "The Use of the Defence Forces in Fulfilling the Republic of Estonia's International Obligations in a NATO-led, EU-led, or UN-led International Military Operation, in Making the First Contribution Thereof," as submitted by the Government of the Republic. The bill focuses on the use of an exceptional mandate necessary to resolve an international crisis and allows the government to deploy up to 100 members of the Estonian Defence Forces in an international operation, provided it is in accordance with international law. The structure and procedure were passed to the National Defence Committee for preparation, and the bill was added to the Riigikogu's plenary session agenda for December 14th with the recommendation to conclude the second reading. The final assessment was a consensus-based decision, made in cooperation with the National Defence Committee, to move to a final vote.
Decisions Made 2
The parliamentary defense committee unanimously decided to include the bill’s second reading on the Riigikogu’s plenary session agenda for December 4th.
The Defence Committee unanimously decided to propose to the Riigikogu to conclude the second reading of the bill and put it to a final vote, in accordance with Section 109 of the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure.
Most Active Speaker
The speaker who presented the most speeches was Leo Kunnas (id 4YTuQLAmSvU), who is a member of the Riigikogu and the Deputy Chairman of the National Defence Committee. His position involves coordinating defence policy and security expertise; according to the official description, he is the Deputy Chairman of the National Defence Committee, which falls under the “other” category of positions (not directly marked as a role within the context of right or left-wing parties). His brief opinion focused on the content of the bill, the procedure, and the importance of parliamentary control.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This speech concerns the Riigikogu's draft resolution No. 479 on the second reading, which concerns the Defence Forces' first-time contribution to Estonia's international obligations in NATO-, EU-, or UN-led operations; the presentation is by Leo Kunnas, deputy chairman of the Riigikogu's Defence Committee.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Defence Committee unanimously approved the text of the bill's second reading and the explanatory memorandum, proposed to bring it onto the Riigikogu's agenda for December 4, to conclude the second reading, and to place the bill for final vote, emphasising, if necessary, a contribution of up to 100 servicemen to an international operation under an exceptional mandate.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks and asks Rain Epler to answer some questions.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler asks why Estonia's cooperation with the UN is important in the context of the draft, referring to news reports about Guterres bowing to Putin and drinking vodka with him, and that the peacekeepers in Lebanon are a bit of a joke, and asks his colleague Leo to share his views.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Although this does not directly relate to the topic of the draft, Leo Kunnas said that next year there will be no operation under UN auspices in which Estonia could participate on the basis of a mandate, and he doubts whether there will even be a need for that mandate.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, turned toward Kalle Grünthali and said "please".
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal expressed confusion about what an “other international military operation” is and where it leads, referring to Section 34, Clause 2 of the National Defence Act, that the use of the Defence Forces in another operation is decided by the Riigikogu only when the obligation stems from a ratified international treaty, and finally asked where and for what purpose our men would be sent to fight for a year without such a treaty.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas explains that by 'other military operations' he means the assembling of coalitions of voluntary states to resolve a crisis, and for example an operation defending Taiwan could be organized by the United States as the lead nation in a coalition whose mandate and consequences are so significant that they would require discussion in a large hall, although next year this is very unlikely, but over ten years it could potentially happen.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
During the speech, Rain Epler was asked to take the floor.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler states that the UN issue is related to the draft, asks about the UN leader's latest conduct, and refers to the Riigikogu's strong messaging practice, recommending considering whether the phrase “led by the United Nations Organization” should be omitted, in order not to give the impression of cooperation.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas said that such an operation in the near future is practically not feasible to carry out, and emphasized that our attitude toward the UN is a general foreign policy issue that primarily falls within the competence of the Foreign Affairs Committee, because if the UN Secretary-General visits Russia and clearly expresses support for the Putin regime, which we have designated as a terrorist regime, a question arises as to how we should respond to this.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks Anti Poolamets to take the floor.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets notes that the term 'hardly' no longer applies, and small states may unexpectedly end up at war with China; therefore he does not want Estonia to be drawn into war and wants the matter to be voted on in the chamber, and at the same time asks whether the Defence Forces are still sufficiently capable.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas emphasizes that in a turbulent security-political situation nothing can be ruled out, but decisions on serious operations must be made by consensus in the National Defence Committee and, if necessary, submitted to the Riigikogu before implementation, in order to ensure legal oversight and transparency.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Kalle Grünthal is invited to perform.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
This speech asserts that the draft concerns not only the United Nations, but also NATO and the European Union's military operations, and seeks a clear yes-or-no answer as to whether the draft could involve sending Estonian soldiers to Ukraine.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kunnas emphasizes that such operations require a voluntary coalition and a leading role, as well as broad consent of the great powers, but in practice the making of these decisions is unlikely, because they require serious deliberation and consensus in a large hall.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi invites Varro Vooglaid to speak.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid posed a very clear question: in principle, is it possible for the government, on the basis of the given mandate, to take the Estonian Defence Forces to Ukraine to wage war against Russia in such a way that the Riigikogu would afterwards have no decision-making power at all.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas emphasizes that these decisions are of great importance and cannot be made lightly or without a mandate, and even if the commission posed a question, it would ultimately be sent to the plenary chamber, because the government would not be prepared to take such steps alone.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech asked Varro Vooglaid to pose a second question.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid claims that sending the Estonian Defence Forces to fight Russia in Ukraine is possible, because with a mandate from the Riigikogu one can participate in a US-led operation, and the Defence Committee has only the right to express an opinion, not the right to decide.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas stressed that all opinions under discussion are theoretical constructs and, at present, have been built up as theoretical, and in his view there is a limit to reasonableness from which no one would start to abuse power; even if the government is, in some respects, not to his liking, he does not believe that it would take such an extensive path of abuse, but the question of constitutionalism is broader, and the answer should be provided by others, not by him.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks that Kristo Enn Vaga be invited to perform.
Kristo Enn Vaga
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kristo Enn Vaga made a clarification for the record that providing aid to Poland within the Wisent unit framework included reserve soldiers who were voluntarily called out from reserve training, who gathered on Polish territory and gave their consent, and therefore this draft bill does not cover it.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas said that the deportation took place within the framework of international military cooperation and that it would be better if such things were carried out on the basis of a mandate, and he stressed that increasing the number of such actions would make these operations possible and reduce dilemmas.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks Jüri Jaanson to come on stage.
Jüri Jaanson
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Jüri Jaanson emphasizes that the Defence Forces' main task is to defend Estonia, and asks in the National Defence Committee whether the use of the Defence Forces in foreign operations has been discussed, for example in Ukraine.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas said that Estonia's involvement in Afghanistan is currently much smaller than at its peak, and there have been no discussions about involving Ukraine, because those decisions would be political, but due to the turbulent situation all possible options must be considered.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked, announced that there were no questions, opened negotiations and gave the floor to Kalle Grünthal; Grünthal asked for additional time and received eight minutes.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal criticizes the Riigikogu's decision to grant the government mandates to use the Defence Forces on international missions, noting that the majority of members do not know where the Defence Forces actually go, and emphasizes that Estonia must defend its own country and its own people, rather than sending them to fight in a foreign war.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Varro Vooglaid asked for three more minutes.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid claims that the proposed bill 479 is in conflict with the Constitution, because it delegates the making of military decisions to the government, and only the Riigikogu must decide in each specific case, if necessary also by convening an extraordinary session within 24 hours.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Arvo Aller has finished negotiations and will put to a final vote the government-proposed Riigikogu draft resolution No. 479 concerning the use of the armed forces in fulfilling Estonia's international obligations.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Draft bill No. 479 was adopted as a decision: 50 in favor, 11 against, with no abstentions.