Government decisions
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 6th sitting, press briefing
Date: 2025-09-10 15:59
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 20
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 15m
AI Summaries: 20/20 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The fifth question before the Riigikogu concerned the government's decision regarding the repurchase of Enefit Green and the associated political and oversight issues. Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart presented a critical review of the decision's logic, pointing out that rapid privatisations followed by their repurchase have caused losses for taxpayers and potential leaks of insider information and suspicions of corruption. She highlighted the movement of insider information and certain market operations as central problems, calling for more thorough oversight and greater transparency.
In addition, the broader government activity and its impact on various public services were discussed, and the Minister of Finance’s responses addressed other areas including the Health Insurance Fund’s expenses and increased personnel and performance bonus imbalances. The discussion also encompassed tax policy plans, including the situation regarding VAT on food and the increase of the tax-free minimum, where the minister explained their views and justifications, and the need to avoid unfairness and ensure a stable economic environment was emphasized as a guiding principle.
Decisions Made 1
No final decisions were made during the meeting. The discussion will continue, and concrete steps or monitoring measures will be decided later.
Most Active Speaker
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart was the most active spokesperson, representing a member of the Riigikogu and raising critical questions about the government's decisions. Her role is as a parliamentary member (position: other), being a central presenter of comments and questions in public discussion.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Riigikogu proceeds, and Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart will present the fifth question to Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi on the topic of government decisions.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart criticizes the government's decision to buy back Enefit Green, calling it the result of chaotic policy. She highlights a 68 million euro loss for the taxpayer and levels accusations regarding insider trading and the substantive deficiencies in the work of the special anti-corruption committee.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart accuses the Minister of Finance of chaotic government policy concerning the Enefit Green buyback, which cost taxpayers 68 million euros. Crucially, however, she condemns the minister's inaction and the undermining of the special anti-corruption committee's work in a situation where the risk of insider information leakage was already pointed out in April—a risk that has now been confirmed as a crime following the Central Criminal Police filing suspicions against three individuals.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar offers his thanks and addresses the minister with a request.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that he will continue to ignore invitations and requests for comment that are merely intended to create confusion and link him to corruption. He also confirmed that Enefit Green's delisting from the stock exchange was neither a government decision nor a process in which he was involved, adding that they have corrected the error and are learning from their mistakes.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi categorically refuses to answer questions that he deems misleading, slanderous, and whose sole purpose is to link the government to corruption, accusing the questioner of seeking media hype and demonstrating incompetence, and emphasizes that Enefit Green's departure from the stock exchange is not a government decision, but rather the result of wisdom and learning from past mistakes.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chair thanks [the speaker] and calls upon Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart to ask a clarifying question.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart accuses the government of superficiality and highlights examples of Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) expenditures—summer retreats, team events, and training sessions, along with performance bonuses—which are resulting in a 200 million euro deficit. She then asks what her position is as a board member in such a situation.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart sharply criticizes the Minister of Finance's superficial approach to the leaking of Enefit Green insider information and demands the minister, in his capacity as a member of the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) council, state his position regarding the institution's management failures. She highlights that Tervisekassa, which is currently running a 200 million euro deficit, has this year spent half a million euros on motivational events and training without public procurement, paid large performance bonuses to executives, and yet simultaneously cannot find money for the treatment of children with cancer.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stresses that the initiation of a criminal case cannot be equated with corruption, and decisions regarding stock exchange and supervision matters are made by the Financial Supervision Authority and the general meeting. Furthermore, the costs for training and performance bonuses are part of the overall payroll budget, and the buyback of Enefit Green is not an expense for the taxpayer, but an investment. Finally, law enforcement must be allowed to do its job.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi explained and defended his actions regarding two public controversies, emphasizing concerning the Enefit Green criminal case that the raising of suspicions and the initiation of a criminal case do not constitute a fact of corruption. Furthermore, he refuted claims about the deficit and expenses (such as performance bonuses and training) of Tervisekassa (the Health Insurance Fund), stressing that these are parts of the wage fund, not an additional cost to the taxpayer, and that the repurchase of Enefit Green was, overall, an investment.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speech calls on the listeners to take action, saying that now is their time.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Jürgen Ligi said that taxpayer money has been invested in stocks, and this has generated a return.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi explained that the taxpayer-funded entity invested the funds in stocks, which yielded the expected return.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar urged the proceedings to continue, and Lauri Laats asked a supplementary question.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats is accusing the minister of misleading the public regarding the tax hikes, arguing that increasing the VAT on food products will lead to higher prices. He also points to the Ministry of Finance's August procurement process aimed at finding researchers to study the impact of these taxes on society and the economy.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats accuses the minister of both misleading accusations directed at a colleague and deceiving the public regarding the launched tax spree, under which taxes were raised without prior analysis. As proof, he highlights the Ministry of Finance’s procurement tender from August, which seeks researchers to only now study how these tax increases actually affect the economy and people’s livelihoods. Additionally, he criticizes the government’s firm stance that lowering the VAT on foodstuffs would not be reflected in consumer prices.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi claims that lowering the VAT on food is unfair and will not bring the expected benefit to consumers or society. Therefore, he does not support the populist initiative. Instead, he will raise the tax-free minimum to 700 euros to ensure neutral coverage for basic consumption.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi rejects the populist initiative to lower the VAT on food, citing studies that highlight its social injustice—namely, that the wealthy receive a disproportionately large benefit and the money does not reach consumers, but merely increases trade margins—and emphasizes that a far more effective and fairer way to increase societal prosperity is instead to raise the tax-free minimum to 700 euros.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar offers his thanks and concludes the consideration of today's fifth question.