Second reading of the draft resolution (486 OE) of the Riigikogu regarding the extension of the term of use of the Defence Forces in fulfilling Estonia's international obligations in a post-conflict peacekeeping operation in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, 4th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-12-04 20:18
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 48
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 55m
AI Summaries: 48/48 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The discussion regarding agenda item 18 concerned the Riigikogu resolution submitted by the Government of the Republic of Estonia to extend the term of service of the Defence Forces in a UN-led peacekeeping operation, UNTSO, until the end of 2025. The second reading of the draft and the coordination of the explanatory note took place at the level of the National Defence Committee, where linguistic clarification was introduced, drawing on the wording used in other Defence Forces international operations. Procedural discussions were successfully concluded over two sittings (November 18th and December 2nd), and the committee unanimously decided to place the draft on the Riigikogu’s plenary agenda for a second reading and to set a final vote. The mission participating in the peacekeeping operation deployed by the UN includes observers from 30 countries, including 14 NATO countries, which highlights the international contextual significance of Estonia’s involvement.
Decisions Made 2
The Defence Committee unanimously decided to put the bill on the agenda of today's session of the full parliament for a second reading and to conclude the second reading and put the bill to a final vote today.
The Riigikogu final vote: 59 members of the Riigikogu voted in favor of bill 486, 9 voted against, and there were 0 abstentions. The bill has been passed.
Most Active Speaker
The member of the Reform Party with the most active participation was Alar Laneman (pid G_-y7yC7u3k), whose numerous and thorough comments encompassed both historical background and a discussion of routine procedural questions. This influence was reflected in his initial and subsequent speeches, and he represents a right-wing political perspective (right).
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
During the 18th agenda item, the government-proposed Riigikogu resolution draft No. 486 concerning the extension of the period of use of the armed forces for a post-conflict peacekeeping operation in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Syria will be discussed, and at the second reading the rapporteur will be Kristo Enn Vaga, a member of the National Defence Committee.
Kristo Enn Vaga
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Defence Committee unanimously approved the text of the second reading and the explanatory memorandum and decided to bring the draft to the Riigikogu plenary for the second reading and to submit it for final vote, thereby extending the deadline for deploying up to three Estonian servicemen in the UN peacekeeping operation UNTSO, whose observers come from 30 countries, including 14 NATO member states, and the first reading took place on 6 November; no amendments were submitted, and linguistic clarification was made in cooperation with the language editor and representatives.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller opens negotiations on behalf of the Reform Party faction and by authorization.
Alar Laneman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Alar Laneman emphasizes that Estonia must be active in international missions, avoiding baseless intimidation and the stirring up of disagreements, because missions are both an instrument of the country's foreign policy and the development of the defence forces, and historical experience proves that we must not stay alone, but we must cooperate, including in the context of NATO's future membership.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller requests three additional minutes.
Alar Laneman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Alar Laneman emphasizes that building the state's capability requires a unified language environment and cooperation, and through missions, together with allies, strategic planning and defense capability are developed to preserve independence.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller talks about Mart Helme as a member of EKRE.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme criticizes the mercenary mentality, highlights the realities using the Afghanistan experience as an example, and states that Estonia must not continue participating in uncontrolled peacekeeping missions, but must vote against such bills.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Arvo Aller invites Raimond Kaljulaid onto the stage.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid presents Mart Helmet as the pinnacle of Estonia's geopolitical thinking, and emphasizes that the armed forces are the greatest hope in hard times, but in EKRE's view they are depicted as mercenaries fighting under a rainbow flag, and the leader tries to call to order the noisy troll in the right wing.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
During negotiations there is an opportunity to reply after a counter-speech, and in the hall people are speaking.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid reminds the chair of the meeting that the obligation arising from the law is to ensure order in the hall.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Arvo Aller says that he will signal.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He notes that there is noise in the hall and three people are shouting at each other.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller urged the members of the Riigikogu to observe order, to let the speaker finish his remarks, and announced that afterwards there would be an opportunity to deliver a counter-speech.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid respectfully addressed the chair of the meeting, noting that there was talk in the hall, and said that something must be ensured somehow.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Esteemed presenter, your time is up; after the presentation there will be an opportunity to respond.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
In my opinion, the deputy speaker presiding over the Riigikogu session cannot cope with the job at the moment, but I would still like to return to the previous speaker's remarks.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is merely a theatrical cue, by which the bell rings and the presenter is allowed to finish.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid stressed that Estonia's participation in the UK-led JEF is in Estonia's security interests, because in November 2023 the JEF activated its crisis-response capability to strengthen the security of the Baltic Sea, the protection of the Danish straits, and the protection of subsea infrastructure, but some members of parliament voted against it, and he urged them to act in Estonia's interests instead of grandstanding.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This text is not the content of the speech, but a plea for Varro Vooglaid's counter-speech.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid regards Laneman's comment as both insipid and low, accuses him of distorting the facts and of going along with the Reform Party's new customs, and emphasizes that, on the basis of the blankoveksli draft, sending the Estonian Defence Forces to war against Russia in Ukraine would be unconstitutional, for which he expects Laneman to vote in accordance with the Constitution.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice Chairman Arvo Aller informed that Peeter Tali is taking part in the negotiations.
Peeter Tali
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Tali stated that, although Helmed has left the hall, he refutes misinformation and stresses the need to discuss the UN mission's name, its status, and funding; he spoke about the reasons for the Afghanistan mission and the improvement of Estonia's defense capability, and ended by saying that he was offended by the claim that Estonian soldiers are mercenaries, and asked for three minutes of extra time.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
In the speech, it says that three more minutes will be added.
Peeter Tali
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Tali said that Estonian soldiers are not mercenaries, but serve the people and the country and protect Estonia's security regardless of the form of service, highlighting their participation in difficult missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and stressing that Estonia's security is backed by soldiers from the United States, the United Kingdom and France—the nuclear-armed powers.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a short request to invite Kalev Stoicescu to perform.
Kalev Stoicescu
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalev Stoicescu emphasized that solidarity becomes practice when Estonia and its allies work together on crises and peacekeeping operations and contribute to protecting each other's interests, rather than merely demanding aid, and he noted that participation in international efforts is essential and that crises are changing, and added that nine members of parliament voted against Bill 485.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller said that Varro's name was not mentioned in the presentation, therefore he cannot be given the opportunity to deliver a reply, and this can be resolved as a procedural matter by the chair of the session.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid raised a procedural question as to whether a response speech remains valid even when no name is mentioned, as long as it is clear who the speech is about, and he noted that the discussion concerned nine MPs who voted against 485 OE and who were regarded as opponents of collective defence and of Estonia's independence, a stance with which he identified himself there.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller said that during negotiations there can be only one rebuttal, and that it cannot be given a second time, and he invited Anti Poolamets to speak.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid said that he supported the esteemed colleague Varro Vooglaid and understood Kalev Stoicescu's remarks about people who are against the Estonian state as a reference to Vooglaid and his EKRE colleagues, and found that it was fairly cohesive.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chair Arvo Aller said that it was not related to a procedural question and gave Anti Poolamets the opportunity to speak.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets criticizes that the information has been presented incompletely and that the Afghanistan mission has shown its failure, also questions the meaning of the Syria reference, and emphasizes the protection of the parliament's sovereignty and its decision-making authority in national defense, while at the same time warning about the growing influence of the executive and the appointment of corrupt individuals to European positions.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller promised to give three more minutes.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets warns about corruption at higher positions and emphasizes that decisions about peace and war and missions must be made within the Parliament's powers through a thorough, critical analysis.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a short introduction in which "Your time!" is said, and Varro Vooglaid is asked.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid announced that he voted against Draft Bill 485, because a blanket authorization for the use of the Estonian Defence Forces must not be given, and the Riigikogu must, in each concrete situation, make a decision in accordance with the Constitution; if necessary, an extraordinary session can be convened quickly, and the authorization granted under NATO rapid readiness is required only as a specific Riigikogu decision, not a general mandate; he criticized the opponents' false claims and emphasized that only blue-black-white flags should fly on the Riigikogu's façade.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller announces that the requests to speak have ended and the talks are closed, and before the adjournment Alar Laneman will be allowed to give a reply speech.
Alar Laneman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Alar Laneman said that when someone is mentioned there is an obligation to respond, and the Riigikogu should improve lawmaking through a critical and at the same time constructive debate, noting that the criticism of the draft bill was linked to resisting Russia's aggression in Ukraine and created a strange interplay, but if the result is not satisfactory, proposals should be presented to improve the work, and mistakes do not mean deliberate lying, but there is good discussion in the committee and, if necessary, decisions can be reversed.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller noted that the name Kalev Stoicescu was mentioned, and a counter-speech followed.
Kalev Stoicescu
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalev Stoicescu thanked the chair of the meeting and his colleagues and said that, since he had been mentioned, he would try to clarify it again.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks to speak closer to the microphone so that the speech can be heard, and thanks.
Kalev Stoicescu
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalev Stoicescu emphasized the importance of international cooperation for Estonia's national defence, explained why Estonia continues to participate in missions such as Lebanon and Mozambique, and highlighted that Bill 485 concerns Estonia's contribution to NATO forces and collective defence, with nine members of the Riigikogu voting against it — something that was shocking and dangerous to him.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller noted that Raimond Kaljulaid was mentioned, and asked him to respond.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid stressed that Estonia's security depends significantly on the UK-led JEF and NATO defence cooperation, and that the Riigikogu voting against it would harm Estonia's interests and independence, because the United Kingdom has promised to send, if necessary, a brigade-sized unit to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Estonian Defence Forces.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Under Arvo Aller's leadership, negotiations will be concluded and the Riigikogu's draft decision 486 will be put to a final vote, extending the term for the use of the Defence Forces to fulfil Estonia's international obligations in post-conflict peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Riigikogu adopted Bill 486 as a resolution: 59 members voted in favor, 9 against, and there were no abstentions.