National Audit Office Report
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Information Hour
Date: 2025-11-05 14:49
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 17
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 19m
AI Summaries: 17/17 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The fourth item on the agenda addressed the National Audit Office report regarding the infrastructure deficit in the transport and mobility sector, which amounts to 1.35 billion euros. Riigikogu member Jaanus Karilaid (Isamaa) asked Prime Minister Kristen Michal what the government's work plan was for covering this deficit and maintaining Estonia's competitiveness. Prime Minister Michal first corrected the budget deficit figure presented by the questioner and explained that the government would allocate the revenue collected from the annual car tax (approx. 280 million euros in the coming years) entirely to roads, pledging major investments in the construction of 2+2 roads in the direction of Pärnu and Tartu, and ensuring Rail Baltic stays on schedule. Karilaid presented a clarifying question regarding the construction project of the Turba–Rohuküla railway section, to which the Prime Minister responded that this would be left for future coalitions to decide as a priority. The discussion took an unexpected turn when Mart Maastik (Isamaa) presented an additional question concerning Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna's visit to China and Estonian-Chinese relations. The Chairman of the session reprimanded Maastik for deviating from the topic, which then triggered a long and passionate procedural dispute between Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa) and the Chairman of the session. Seeder challenged the Chairman's right to regulate the content of additional questions, citing shortcomings in the Rules of Procedure Act regarding this matter. The Chairman defended his position, emphasizing that one must stay within the topic of the registered questions to ensure that other registered questions are addressed.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Most Active Speaker
Helir-Valdor Seeder was extremely active, initiating and dominating a long procedural dispute with the presiding officer regarding the regulation of the content of supplementary questions. Seeder represents the Isamaa faction (right/center).
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar introduced the fourth item on the agenda, which was a question posed by Riigikogu member Jaanus Karilaid to Prime Minister Kristen Michal regarding the report by the National Audit Office.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid faults the Prime Minister for focusing excessively on the political failures in Tallinn and Tartu, but instead draws attention to the critical situation in the transport and mobility sector. He demands an action plan detailing how the 1.35 billion euro deficit that has accumulated in road and rail infrastructure over the next four to five years will be covered, especially considering the simultaneous 5% budget deficit.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal corrected the questioner regarding the state budget deficit (4.5%) and record defense spending (5%). He then provided an overview of the five-pillar public transport reform being led by the Minister of Regional Affairs and confirmed that the revenue from the car tax (approximately 280 million euros) will be fully allocated to roads. This will allow for the construction of tens of kilometers of 2+2 highways in the direction of Pärnu and Tartu in the coming years, while simultaneously keeping the Rail Baltic project on its 2030 schedule.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar, after a brief expression of thanks, gave the floor to Jaanus Karilaid so that he could ask a clarifying question.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid criticizes the Prime Minister for avoiding the issue, stressing that the 1.35 billion euro budget deficit, as audited by the National Audit Office, constitutes a major crisis that will lead to a decline in Estonia's competitiveness, and calls on the Prime Minister to solve it. Furthermore, he inquired about a specific work plan for the construction of the Turba–Rohuküla railway section, a project that all political parties have promised to implement, asking whether this regionally significant project has been brought to the Prime Minister’s attention.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal delivered a powerful overview of the government’s infrastructure policy, emphasizing the priority of roads and connectivity. He confirmed that over 1 billion euros will be allocated to road maintenance over the next four years, supplemented by revenue from the motor vehicle tax. Furthermore, he pledged to develop railway connections to shorten the Tallinn–Tartu travel time and increase speeds to 160 km/h, although the maintenance backlog accumulated over the years cannot be eliminated immediately.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked everyone and then, acting as moderator, handed the floor over to Mart Maastik, who will now ask the next follow-up question.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik is drawing attention to a contradiction in Estonian foreign policy, asking the Prime Minister what exactly has changed over the last year, given that while previously the diplomatic visit of Riigikogu members to China was criticized due to [China’s] support for Russia, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna now deems China a global state with whom developing relations is essential.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar made a procedural remark to Mart Maastik, emphasizing that his question regarding Estonian and Chinese relations was off-topic, as there was no corresponding National Audit Office report. He also criticized the Isamaa faction, stating that they had neither utilized their opportunities to submit questions nor filed a request in a timely manner, though he nevertheless permitted the Prime Minister to answer the question should she wish to do so.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal thanked the questioner for their constructive cooperation in providing advance notice of the topics, which allows for better preparation. She then defended Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna’s visit to China, stressing that Tsahkna represents the positions of the Estonian state, including raising issues of Russian aggression and human rights. She contrasted this with the questioner’s earlier trip, which was made at the state’s expense and was potentially scandalous.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar concluded the handling of the fourth item on the agenda and announced that before proceeding to the fifth question, Helir-Valdor Seeder would be granted the floor to raise a point concerning the procedure of the sitting.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder, while addressing a procedural question, stressed that the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure Act does not govern the content of supplementary questions posed during the information hour, nor their direct connection to the registered question. Instead, he maintained, it is a matter determined by established customs and the discretion of the session chairman, thereby defending a colleague who had been accused of violating the rules, since the law fails to regulate this particular aspect.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar explains the provisions of the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act (RKKTS), which permit a member of the government to refuse to answer questions that do not pertain to the registered topic. He emphasized that it is the duty of the session chair to ensure the discussion remains focused on the topic, thereby preventing time from being wasted on procedural disputes and guaranteeing that all registered questioners are able to present their questions within the allotted time.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik reproaches the Speaker of the Riigikogu for the time spent explaining procedural rules, a matter which he believes should have been left to the Prime Minister's discretion. Furthermore, he asks the Prime Minister to apologize to the members of the Riigikogu whose earlier visits he had erroneously criticized, even though those visits served the exact same purposes as the Foreign Minister's current trip.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar explained that the second part of the question presented earlier constituted a substantive objection, which could not be deemed procedural, and he then gave the floor to Helir-Valdor Seeder so that the latter could pose a question concerning the procedure for conducting the sitting.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder reproaches the presiding officer for an unnecessary and misleading comment, with which the latter criticized the questioner for posing a follow-up question that did not align with the registered topic. Seeder emphasized that the rules of procedure do not regulate the content of supplementary questions and that it is the chairman's remarks, specifically, that waste valuable time, even though clarifying the rules is necessary in the long run.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar defended the existing procedure for asking questions, stressing that supplementary questions must remain strictly within the scope of the registered question’s topic. He further demanded that, instead of engaging in debate, they move forward to ensure that other members of the Riigikogu also have the opportunity to exercise their right to ask questions.