First reading of the draft resolution "Establishment of a Riigikogu investigative committee to examine the security of the Riigikogu e-election process" (576 OE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
Date: 2025-04-21 18:17
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 77
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 2h 9m
AI Summaries: 77/77 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The first agenda item concerned the Riigikogu draft resolution 576 submitted by the Centre Party faction, the purpose of which is to establish a Riigikogu investigative committee to examine the security of the Riigikogu’s e-election process. A representative presentation was made from colleague Lauri Laats at the Riigikogu speaker’s platform, his speech focusing on the deficiencies in the secrecy, transparency, and security of e-voting, and the need for an independent investigation and drawing conclusions. He highlighted international experiences and OSCE/ODIHR observation reports, which emphasize the need to strengthen verifiability and auditability.
The second part of the discussion concerned specific tasks of the investigative committee and potential solutions: analyzing the findings of TalTech scientists to be confirmed or refuted by independent experts, determining mechanisms for detecting and preventing potential election manipulation, assessing the adequacy of election auditing procedures, and analyzing the risks of mobile voting and compliance with international standards. There was also a discussion about whether the e-election system meets democratic standards and when and how to consider a temporary transition to safer voting methods. Finally, the aim was established to submit a final report to the Riigikogu and the public no later than December 1, 2025, when the committee's powers expire.
Decisions Made 1
Bill 576 rejected on the first reading; the vote result: 48 in favor, 16 against, 0 abstentions.
Most Active Speaker
Most active speaker: Lauri Laats (member of the Centre Party faction). Political affiliation: other (Centre Party member). He led the discussion and presented and reflected the core objectives and criteria relating to work directed at the committee.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, announced that the first item on the agenda is the first reading of the Centre Party faction's proposed Riigikogu decision "Formation of a Riigikogu investigative committee to examine the security of the Riigikogu e-voting process," No. 576, and asked that the presenter be Riigikogu colleague Lauri Laats at the rostrum.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The Riigikogu decides to form an investigative committee to assess the security and transparency of the e-voting process, to involve independent experts, to identify possible manipulation methods and the sufficiency of audit procedures, to compare international standards, and to present a final report on December 1, 2025, on the basis of which it will recommend improvements or, if necessary, temporary more secure voting methods.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Lauri Hussar thanks a colleague and states that they have several questions, and the first question is posed by Signe Kivi.
Signe Kivi
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Speaking about trust and the transparency of the drafts, Signe Kivi said that the names and fields of specialization of TalTech scientists should be clearly stated, because the current description seems uncertain and may be the work of only one professional in another field, which does not seem trustworthy.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker emphasizes that the secrecy of elections must be preserved, and the claims made within the inner circle threaten the constitution, but at the same time doubts continue regarding scientific analysis and the public's different points of view, which have not been satisfactorily resolved, and about 40% of society has not been satisfied with the answers.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asks Aleksandr Tšaplõgin to take the floor.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin posed three fundamental questions related to e-voting: how to prove that a person votes themselves and voluntarily; whether the difference between internet voting and polling station voting is normal; and whether the practice of e-voting in Estonia does not run counter to democracy in the eyes of countries that criticize the lack of democracy, such as Russia and Venezuela.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that the constitution requires secret voting, and therefore e-voting is a source of danger, because only at the polling station can true secrecy and security be guaranteed; in Estonia there are three voting methods (polling stations, e-voting, and the option to vote by mobile), and although e-voting has been tested in other countries, it was abandoned due to security and transparency problems, and nearly 40% of people do not trust e-voting, therefore their distrust and security concerns must be addressed and conclusions presented to the Riigikogu.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speaker asks Peeter Ernits to come onto the stage.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits noted that the similarity between Estonia's and Russia's e-votings is strange, and asked how far along the OSCE delegation's analysis is and when we will hear the OSCE's opinion on our matters.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
During the discussion, the focus was on the deadlines of the report related to e-voting and on adherence to the 2023 recommendations, and it was emphasized that proactive action is needed, because about 40% of people do not trust e-voting, and this is accompanied by low voter turnout, which is a major problem.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair invited Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski to speak.
Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
They asked whether in Estonia's e-voting history there have been court cases involving e-voting violations and how they ended, and whether the Centre Party wants to completely discontinue e-voting, while emphasizing that although security can be improved, there are still people who lack trust in e-voting.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that the aim of the draft is to form an investigative committee and report on its work by December 1, 2025, and the main task is to address the trust issue with e-voting, because about 40% of the population does not trust them, which endangers trust in elections and state institutions and requires steps to increase voter turnout and trust.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Vadim Belobrovtsev to speak.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
In the speech, it is discussed that several countries have tried e-voting, and many have abandoned it due to security concerns, and a question is raised as to why Estonia is so confident in guaranteeing this security.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats said that about 40% of people consider the security of e-voting to be questionable, because there is a lack of auditability and the critical auditing steps emphasized by the OSCE 2023 observation report, and to improve this, the e-voting process must be auditable and, if necessary, an externally contracted auditor should be used.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, invites Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvarti onto the stage.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart argues that the City of Tallinn's decision to limit the number of polling stations is contrary to the principle of free elections, because statistics show that a large portion of voters still prefer to vote at polling stations (53% in local elections, 58% in European Parliament elections), and the decision restricts pressure-free and unobstructed voting as well as the choice of a diverse range of voting methods, including paper voting.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats criticizes Tallinn's plan to reduce polling stations, stating that e-voting was intended to increase participation, and emphasizes that due to mobility problems among older people, as many polling stations as possible should be kept open so that people can cast their vote on election day.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Vladimir Arhipov onto the stage, please.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov warns that e-voting may pose a security risk, because the secrecy of the vote may be at risk and influence is possible even in public places.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that e-voting calls into question the principles of secrecy and equality, because we do not know whether the voter is present alone or whether someone nearby is directing the vote, and therefore stricter identification and privacy protection measures are needed (for example, facial recognition), because only in-person voting is certain.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar invites Aleksei Jevgrafovi onto the stage.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Aleksei Jevgrafov emphasized that to answer questions about the reliability of e-voting, the inquiry committee's work must involve specialists or scientists with technical knowledge, because members of the Estonian Parliament lack the specific skills for this.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats stressed that the commission must be non-partisan and may invite all specialists who have dealt with the topic, including foreign specialists, in order to identify problems related to e-voting and to draw on the experiences of foreign countries.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar called Riina Solman to the podium.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman said that she has no preference for e-voting or the paper version, recalled the experience of using both voting methods, and noted that older people often reach the ballot boxes, while e-voting is designed for a younger family life, and asked whether the Election Commission has explained how to remedy the deficiencies and whether she should turn to them.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats noted that although e-voting has improved over the years and the system is functioning, no one can definitively guarantee its security, and about 40% of society does not trust them, therefore a commission should be formed with representatives of all parties to continue the work and increase transparency and trust.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The prime minister Lauri Hussar invited Martin Helme onto the stage.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme claims that e-voting cannot be examined before, during, or after, and therefore it is merely a farce that must be banned.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The focus of the presentation is the reliability and transparency of e-voting: Lauri Laats emphasized the need to launch the process, but noted that a personal vote cannot be controlled, and the example of France's pilot project shows a lack of transparency and verifiability, which makes about 40% of the population skeptical about e-voting.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Rene Kokk to take the floor.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk takes the floor, pointing out that the world's major powers do not use e-voting, and highlights the reasons related to security, transparency and digital inequality, as well as legal and practical questions, and asks whether e-voting should be stopped in Estonia and what the Centre Party's position is.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that the Centre Party does not support e-voting and that trust in the Riigikogu and the government is low, and he invites members of parliament to reflect on political views and to cooperate, so that trust and social unity would emerge and that a larger part of society would not be trampled by a steamroller.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar made a plea to Mart Helme.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme claims that society is fully aware of the problem, and if 42% of people do not trust e-voting, their removal is completely straightforward, which is a step in the right direction, although he points out a literary comparison to Švejk and hopes that the chair won't give him a hard time about it.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar said that there is no plan.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
According to Mart Helme, we neither know nor can we control how many e-voters there really are or how they are added, and in the previous elections the number of voters was increased by about 90,000, which, in his view, creates a huge reserve of people and votes that could be presented as e-votes.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
He says that your time is up.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme clearly demands that e-voting be terminated and that voting can only take place on paper.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that although 42% do not trust e-voting and 79% do not trust the current government, e-voting must not be stopped immediately; the bill offers a starter pack that explains the problems related to e-voting and engages both supporters and opponents and requires the cooperation of two honest members of the Riigikogu to bring down the government from the coalition, but at the same time emphasizes that we do not support e-voting in itself and must speak openly about the problems and raise trust.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and asks Anti Poolamets to take the floor.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets quotes Märt Põder's article, in which it is claimed that the double bottom of the electronic ballot box allowed the ballots to be swapped, and which became known only after the results were announced, when the evidence was destroyed, and the diagram shows a strong anomaly in the Reform Party's e-votes, but the inquiry commission is still at work, and he asks whether a consequence could arise, for example the preservation of the evidence, which would be a by-product.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats expresses strong concern about the unwarranted rapid destruction of hard drives and the lack of transparency, which raises doubts and threatens the reliability of e-voting.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman invited Varro Vooglaid to speak.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid raises the question of what to do in the event of a leak of the e-voting risk assessment, where although the meetings are open by law, the document leaked to third parties, and a question arises whether e-voting can continue.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats stresses that the commission to be established is essential and it is one of their nine proposed points, the aim of which is to ensure the reliability of elections, transparency and social unity, and to call on the members of the Riigikogu and the government to vote in favor of it.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Evelin Poolametsa to come on stage.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets stated that during the discussion of the draft bill she was astonished by the ignorance of the representatives of the Election Commission and asked what impression their presentation and attitude had left on you.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasized that the topic should have been addressed more broadly, noting that when it comes to e-voting people are often told only success stories and that the reasons why foreign countries have terminated pilot projects are not explained, and he stated that about 40% distrust could lead to voter nonparticipation and, ultimately, to the formation of a government whose support is only about 21%.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Siim Pohlaku onto the stage.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak claims that e-voting is both a direct and an indirect security risk, trust in it has declined, and developed countries have abandoned it; therefore e-voting should be halted in Estonia and the focus should be on eliminating these security risks.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats said that the current coalition situation is uncertain, and a commission should be established to address the integrity of elections and the country's security, to give society a clear signal and to be proactive in light of the OSCE report, because trust in the state has fallen and the willingness to defend has diminished.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Helle-Moonika Helme to speak.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme claims that although the security of e-voting is touted, the real threat is internal: because of what happens behind the black box, confidentiality, uniformity and simultaneity are compromised, and if these frauds were to be exposed, it would be the greatest threat to the legitimacy of the Estonian state, and the shadow state could exert influence at the level of the state's election service, the prosecutor's office and the Supreme Court.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes that it's your time.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme emphasizes that no one dares or wants to deal with that dirty business.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that although e-voting can cause significant chaos and distrust, there is a need for a clear, transparent, and inclusive electoral process, and establishing a commission is one way to ensure this.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks the presenter, says that there are no questions, and now asks to introduce Ando Kiviberg, the chairman of the Riigikogu Constitutional Committee.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
At the Riigikogu Constitutional Committee meeting, the security of e-elections and e-voting, constitutional issues, as well as transparency and post-election oversight were discussed; it was decided to form an inquiry committee with representatives of the factions and possible external experts; the ODIHR report is expected by the end of April; and it was agreed to continue the proceedings on Draft Bill No. 576 and to appoint Ando Kiviberg as the chair of the lead committee.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speaker thanks the audience, promises a couple of questions, and invites Aleksandr Chaplogin to answer.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin thanks very much for the very thorough overview and poses three questions: how to prove that electronic voting is conducted independently and voluntarily, whether the Internet voting procedure differs so radically from the one used at the polling station, and whether e-voting in this form is not in conflict with criticisms of Estonia's lack of democracy, considering that they are shown in Russia and Venezuela.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg said that he is not an e-voting expert and only facilitated the committee's discussion, and if a person thinks that they have been influenced or that someone is guiding them, they always have the option to vote again later or to vote with a paper ballot; the discussion covered various procedural aspects, and although mobile voting was mentioned, no specific countries were named, and he did not answer all questions satisfactorily.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Toomas Kivimägi invites Vladimir Arhipov onto the stage.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov said that a large part of Estonian society is anxious and does not trust e-voting, and he proposed forming a commission as a step to demonstrate transparency and to ease the anxiety and mistrust.
Ando Kiviberg
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ando Kiviberg said that the commission is waiting for the ODIHR report to see whether to continue with its plan or whether this expertise is already sufficient to obtain answers, and he is in favor of this transparency and wants to receive answers from experts.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Question time has ended. Thank you. I am opening negotiations, and the EKRE faction's representative Varro Vooglaid requests eight minutes of additional time.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid emphasizes that the Estonian Parliament should form an investigative committee to assess the security of e-voting, because trust in the voting system is low and constitutional requirements are largely unmet, and problems related to transparency, possible forgeries, and inadequate control mechanisms are emerging.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
That was merely a word of thanks.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid emphasized that seals in the digital ballot box can be swapped completely unnoticed, which is just one of the many problems, and called on not to turn a blind eye and to form an investigative committee.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks the listeners and announces that Lauri Laats represents the Estonian Centre Party faction and submits a request.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats stresses that distrust of e-voting divides society, and Parliament needs to form a special committee to address the problem and restore trust, because international experience shows that these risks exist.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, asks for one more minute.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats expresses hope that today a decision will be made on the issue of trust in e-voting, invites his colleagues to vote, and emphasizes that the commission is weighing whether the process can be made more transparent or whether a decision must be made that this is not possible.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
In this speech, the negotiations are concluded, and it is requested to vote down the lead committee's proposal on Draft Bill 576 at its first reading.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The Riigikogu voted 48 in favour, 16 against, and there were no abstentions; the proposal found support, and draft bill 576 has been rejected and falls out of the proceedings.