Continuation of the first reading of the draft resolution (679 OE) of the Riigikogu, "Making a Proposal to the Government of the Republic to Urgently Develop the Suspension of E-voting"
Session: XV Riigikogu, VI Session, Plenary Sitting
Date: 2025-11-10 17:19
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 36
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 32m
AI Summaries: 36/36 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The sitting continued the first reading of Riigikogu draft resolution 679, submitted by the Estonian Centre Party faction, which concerned a proposal to the Government of the Republic to urgently develop the suspension of e-voting. Ando Kiviberg, Chairman of the Constitutional Committee, answered questions from Riigikogu members, emphasizing that the committee had forwarded the recommendations contained in the ODIHR report to the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs for the initiation of necessary amendments. The discussion focused on the crisis of confidence in e-voting and the security of the system. Opposition politicians (including Rain Epler, Arvo Aller, Evelin Poolamets, Mart Helme, and Martin Helme) sharply criticized the system's lack of transparency, the violation of security measures, and the fact that nearly half the population does not trust e-elections, which undermines the legitimacy of democracy. Kiviberg conveyed the position of Arne Koitmäe, head of the Electoral Service, that e-voting is verifiable and complies with legal requirements, and that ODIHR has not deemed the system untrustworthy. During the debates, the Centre Party, EKRE, and Isamaa supported the suspension of e-voting in order to restore the trustworthiness of elections. The draft resolution was put to a final vote, where it required an absolute majority of the Riigikogu membership.
Decisions Made 1
Bill 679 (A proposal to the Government of the Republic to urgently develop the suspension of e-voting) failed to gain support in the final vote (25 in favor, 1 against) and was consequently dropped from the legislative procedure.
Most Active Speaker
Martin Helme (EKRE, right-wing) was the most active and critical speaker, accusing the Electoral Service of lying and breaching security regulations. He further claimed that the e-elections are neither observable nor verifiable, citing the auditor's inability to confirm the integrity of the data.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar announces that the Riigikogu will continue the first reading of Bill 679, which was left unfinished and was submitted by the Estonian Centre Party faction, concerning the proposal to suspend e-voting. He then asks Ando Kiviberg, Chairman of the Constitutional Committee, to return to the podium to answer questions from the members of parliament.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg concluded his presentation with a brief and polite thank you.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the previous speaker, announced the continuation of the questions and answers session, and then yielded the floor to his colleague, Rain Epler.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler sharply criticizes the organization of e-elections, stressing that despite the shortcomings identified in the ODIHR report and by observers—deficiencies which the electoral service had promised to eliminate—no improvements have been implemented. He then asks whether such a crucial procedure should be based on faith, or if its correctness should be verifiably guaranteed.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg explains that his role is to convey the proceedings of the committee, emphasizing that although the discussion described did not take place, the Constitutional Committee sent the ODIHR report—which included recommendations concerning potential amendments to the electoral law—to the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs. He had already announced this last week, while simultaneously asking his colleagues for patience.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar and Arvo Aller were called to the podium to present their report.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller cast doubt on the trustworthiness of Estonia's e-elections, asking the commission how the system's integrity could be justified if it is also utilized in Russia and Venezuela. He further inquired why e-voting has not been halted, citing democratic governance principles and the ODIHR report.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg gave a brief response, confirming that the specific question of comparison was not addressed by the commission, and noted that explanations concerning other aspects had already been provided previously.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar yielded the floor to Evelin Poolamets, inviting her to the podium.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets challenges the speaker's assertion that allowing the 42% of people who distrust e-voting to use a paper ballot at a polling station on election day would resolve the issue of the system's overall reliability, questioning whether this actually increases the trustworthiness of e-voting itself.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg clarified that while he is relaying the committee's discussion, his personal viewpoint is that the option between a paper ballot and e-voting is valuable, as it offers convenience and speed to those who require it, without restricting the right of others to traditional voting.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar gave the floor to Mart Helme, inviting him to the podium.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme argues that the trust imposed by election organizers is undemocratic, demanding that voters and candidates must have a real opportunity to remove untrustworthy members of the election service from office, and that the solution "if you don't trust, vote on paper" is comparable to forced relocation, which is unsuitable for a state where the highest power belongs to the people.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar yielded the floor to the next speaker or party with the short and succinct phrase, "Your time!", thereby marking the beginning of a new phase.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme questioned whether the topic at hand had been thoroughly discussed by the commission and whether the commission members truly understood its substance.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg stresses that despite the importance of trust, Estonia is a state governed by the rule of law, which guarantees every citizen the constitutional right to turn to the courts for the protection of their violated rights, without offering a wiser solution itself.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar and Martin Helme were invited to speak.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme emphasizes that Estonia is not a rule of law state because election complaints do not yield results, and he asks the commission whether serious security breaches related to the organization of e-elections were discussed there—ranging from the absence of a valid security framework to the mathematical failure of data integrity during the recount, which shattered the myth of e-voting's reliability.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg conveyed the position of Arne Koitmäe, the head of the Republic's Electoral Service, who confirmed that the results of the local elections' e-voting were recounted a second time; no anomalies were found, and the voting complies with the requirements of the law. Koitmäe also stressed that the OSCE legal report has not called the reliability of e-voting into question, confirming that the system is auditable and compliant with the law.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar gave the floor to Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, requesting that she come to the podium.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart emphasizes that despite the need for extensive legislative changes regarding e-elections, a need recognized by both the Electoral Commission and the OSCE, the Constitutional Committee continues preparing the draft bill. She therefore asks why e-voting has not been suspended until all problems, including allowing political parties to propose auditors, have been resolved.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg, as the chairman of the commission, confirms that the criticism and recommendations presented in the ODIHR report have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs for the initiation of necessary changes. He promises, on his part, to keep a close eye on the process to prevent delays, and emphasizes that, in his personal assessment, there is currently no urgent need to halt the processes before the Riigikogu elections.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar gave the floor to Anti Poolamets, inviting him to the podium to deliver his presentation.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets raises a pressing question regarding the deepening crisis of trust, where nearly half the population no longer trusts elections or the legitimacy of the state. He calls this a major crisis of democracy, one that governments cynically ignore, ruling with low levels of support and avoiding accountability, unlike in other countries where snap elections are held in such situations.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg confirmed that although the issue of confidence was raised by several members of the committee, it was not, however, taken up for discussion as a separate and independent agenda item.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar gave the floor to Mart Maastik, inviting him to speak.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik expresses skepticism regarding the widespread use of e-voting, highlighting that even digitally advanced Finland has rejected the practice, and draws attention to the fact that, besides Estonia, only two other "democratic" countries utilize this voting method: Russia and Venezuela.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg apologized, explaining that he could not answer the question posed because the topic had not been discussed by the committee in that specific form.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar concluded the round of questions directed at the rapporteur, thanked him, and subsequently opened the floor for discussions intended for the parliamentary factions, calling Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, the representative of the Centre Party faction, to the Riigikogu rostrum first.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Aleksandr Chaplygin casts doubt on the reliability and transparency of e-voting, noting that officials cannot prove the voter's voluntary choice and that over half of Estonia's residents do not trust e-elections. Therefore, he proposes suspending e-voting until the system becomes fully transparent and trustworthy, in order to protect the foundations of democracy.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar gave the floor to Martin Helme, the representative of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia faction, and requested three minutes of additional time for him to speak at the Riigikogu rostrum.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme sharply criticizes the lie told by the head of the Electoral Service and the lack of transparency surrounding e-elections, claiming the system is massively rigged, unverifiable, and untrustworthy. This is evidenced both by law violations confirmed by the Supreme Court and the auditor's inability to confirm the integrity of the results. Consequently, he views the entire process as an anti-democratic farce and a coup d'état, which the Electoral Commission and the Supreme Court are politically covering up.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar, on behalf of the Isamaa faction, invited Mart Maastik to the Riigikogu podium.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik is questioning the reliability of e-elections, primarily citing Finland’s decision not to implement e-voting. He points out that a 2016 working group in Finland concluded that the security risks associated with the system were too significant and the verification mechanisms were insufficient. He stresses that trust in e-voting has also begun to decline in Estonia, evidenced by voters increasingly opting for paper ballots. Since the trustworthiness of elections is the fundamental basis of democracy, he argues that e-elections cannot be relied upon in their current form.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar closed the debate and announced that since no amendments had been submitted to draft bill 679 (which was put forward by the Centre Party faction and concerned the expedited suspension of e-voting), they would immediately proceed to the final vote. He emphasized that an absolute majority of the Riigikogu membership was required for its adoption.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announces that during the Riigikogu vote, where 25 members supported the measure and only one was against, Bill 679 nevertheless failed to find sufficient support and was consequently dropped from the proceedings.