Inquiry regarding the amendment of the Public Libraries Act (No 808)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 6th sitting, plenary sitting
Date: 2025-09-15 20:46
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 43
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 36m
AI Summaries: 43/43 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu debated the responses provided by Minister of Culture Heidy Purga to Interpellation No. 808, submitted by Riigikogu members Lauri Laats, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, Vadim Belobrovtsev, Peeter Ernits, and Vladimir Arhipov, concerning the amendment of the Public Libraries Act. The submitters of the interpellation expressed concern that the planned reform would reduce the decision-making power of local governments over library organization, increase associated costs, and abolish county central libraries.
Minister Purga explained that the goal of the reform is to modernize library operations, accelerate digital development, and reduce the fragmentation and duplication of services, based on several studies (including PricewaterhouseCoopers and Praxis). She confirmed that costs for local governments would not increase, but rather decrease, thanks to system development costs covered by the state and central framework procurements, which ensure more favorable prices and unified logistics. The Minister refuted claims that the reform was aimed at cost-saving, emphasizing that the released resources would be redirected back into the development of e-services.
During the debate, Peeter Ernits and Anti Allas (SDE) sharply criticized the reform, seeing it as yet another step in the state’s withdrawal from the provinces and worrying about the jobs being lost in the counties. Ernits estimated the number of jobs to be lost at about 60 and expressed fear that centralized acquisition would start dictating what the public should read. Minister Purga emphasized in response that this was a long and substantive involvement process and called on Ernits to reconsider his choice of words (referring to Estonian regions as "provinces").
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Most Active Speaker
Peeter Ernits (non-affiliated) was the most active speaker, submitting an interpellation, asking clarifying questions, and delivering a long, critical speech during the debate, expressing concern over the regional policy consequences and the loss of jobs.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
On June 19, 2025, a query (Query No. 808) was submitted concerning the amendment of the Public Libraries Act, and Riigikogu member Peeter Ernits is requested to serve as the rapporteur.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi opened the fifth item on the agenda, which was Interpellation No. 808 submitted by members of the Riigikogu concerning the amendment of the Public Libraries Act, and invited the submitter of the interpellation, Peeter Ernits, to the rostrum to give his presentation.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits discussed the proposed amendments to the Public Libraries Act, posed four crucial questions to the Minister of Culture, and voiced concerns that the reform would diminish the autonomy of local governments regarding library management, drive up costs, and potentially result in the closure of central libraries in the counties.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits criticized the amendments to the Public Libraries Act proposed by the Ministry of Culture. His criticism stems from the fact that these changes raise concerns about both the reduction of local governments' decision-making authority and the increase in associated costs. Furthermore, the plan to abolish county central libraries also drew significant criticism. Consequently, he requested the minister to provide answers to four crucial questions he had posed regarding the matter.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanks you, and it is once again a pleasure to invite the honorable Minister of Culture, Heidy Purga, to the Riigikogu rostrum.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanked those present and once again expressed his satisfaction, inviting the honorable Minister of Culture Heidy Purga to the Riigikogu rostrum.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga emphasized that although public libraries are a pillar of education and the quality of their work is good, the sector requires rapid digital development and the standardization of fragmented services. Based on several analyses, national tasks, such as collection development and coordination, will be centralized under the National Library to reduce duplication, ensure uniform availability of services across Estonia, and create the prerequisites for better digital solutions and fair remuneration for librarians, while confirming that this reform will not increase local government costs, but rather decrease them.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
According to the Ministry of Culture, the reform will transfer the functions of county libraries to the National Library, standardize and accelerate digital services and central library acquisition, in order to reduce duplication and costs and provide better, more accessible services throughout Estonia, while simultaneously improving the fair compensation for library administrators.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked the audience, promised to continue taking questions, and noted that there were still questions in the hall despite the comprehensive answers. Peeter Ernits then began.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanked the audience and opened the Q&A session. He noted that despite the comprehensive answers already provided, there were still questioners in the room, and he gave the floor first to Peeter Ernits.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He asks, in the context of the reform, how much money will be saved for the state or the ministry, and how many people from the provinces will have to resign from their posts so that the entire system can be consolidated in Tallinn.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits voiced his concern regarding the centralizing impact of the proposed reform, directly asking the minister about the expected financial savings and how many regional officials would lose their jobs if the entire system were to be consolidated in Tallinn.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga said that these savings are not intended for the state, but will be channeled to counties and public libraries for the development of e-services, the reduction of this fragmentation, and to ensure better accessibility of works.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga emphasized that the state would not generate direct financial savings as a result of the planned activity; instead, all potential savings would be channeled back into the counties and public libraries for the development of e-services, in order to reduce fragmentation and improve the accessibility of literary works.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This is a brief request to invite Heljo Pikhof to speak.
Heljo Pikhof
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Heljo Pikhof is asking how the training sessions, seminars, and information days are organized, whether librarians from smaller libraries are able to participate, and what the plan is for involving them via the county libraries.
Heljo Pikhof
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Heljo Pikhof thanked the presenter for the report, but immediately wanted to know how they plan to organize future training sessions, seminars, and information days so that librarians from smaller libraries are also included in library life, given that currently this is primarily done through county libraries.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
State Minister of Culture Heidy Purga describes the background and current progress of the public library reform since 2020, including the 2023 transfer of tasks to the National Library of Estonia, the development of the MIRKO e-lending environment and the implementation of the accelerator program, the introduction of the planned legislative amendment to the Riigikogu by 2026, and frequent meetings with all relevant stakeholders to provide clear answers and alleviate fears stemming from the adoption of the new digital system.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Culture Minister Heidy Purga provided a detailed overview of the public library reform activities since 2020, highlighting key steps taken in 2023, such as the transfer of duties to the National Library and the launch of the MIRKO e-lending platform. She also confirmed that intensive meetings will be held with all stakeholders before the bill, scheduled for submission to the Riigikogu (Parliament) in 2026, is introduced, in order to alleviate concerns and provide comprehensive answers regarding the massive change, particularly the adoption of the new unified digital system.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas criticizes the Ministry of Culture for neglecting coordination, which has led to easily solvable problems, and demands a clear answer from the minister as to whether library jobs located in the counties will be centralized into the Tallinn Central Library or if regional centers will be established, and how the new tasks will be distributed.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas asks whether the Ministry of Culture will consolidate the jobs located in county centers into the Tallinn Central Library or create regional centers, and how many employees this would involve and how their tasks would be distributed.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi invited Anti Allast to speak.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga pledges to clarify this detail and provide a written explanation detailing how, how much, and to whom specific tasks will be delegated.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga clarified that while the relocation to the centers is definite, she promised to provide all the details – including the scope and allocation of tasks – to the interested party in writing.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanked the audience and announced that there were no further questions.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga only managed to utter an introductory phrase, which indicated her intention to present an explanation or a counter-argument, but her substantive point remained unfinished.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Within the framework of these changes, local governments will decide on the tasks and workload of employees. The public library will continue to be managed by the local government unit (LGU), while state tasks will simultaneously be carried out by LGU public library staff, such as public library directors. The National Library will announce a public competition to fill regional specialist positions, for which LGU specialists are also eligible to apply. To date, the state has provided salary funding for four employees, and the exact future number will be specified in writing.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Speaker Toomas Kivimägi confined himself to a brief apology or interjection that contained no substantive content.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga clarified that although public libraries will remain under the management of local governments (LG) and the LG will decide on employee workloads, the National Library will announce a public competition for the positions of regional specialists. Current LG specialists will be eligible to apply for these roles, and she promised to submit the exact number of redundancies in writing.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks for the second time, states that there are no questions, opens the negotiations, and calls upon Peeter Ernits.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits views the centralization and digitalization of libraries proposed by the Minister of Culture as an extremely dismal scheme that will lead to the state's withdrawal from the provinces, resulting in the loss of approximately 60 jobs and destroying public libraries—the last social strongholds in rural areas where people can sit, read, and socialize for free.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits expresses deep concern regarding the centralization of the state and its withdrawal from the provinces, stating that approximately 60 regional employees will lose their jobs, and public libraries, which serve as the last remaining strongholds, will disappear due to the redirection of resources to Tallinn and the acceleration of digitalization.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi notes that Mr. Peeter Ernits's six and a half minutes of speaking time have expired, and proceeds to ask a question.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits stresses that the state absolutely cannot agree to this and must not withdraw from the last support points across Estonia, where approximately 500 public libraries are situated.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits emphasized that the state must on no account abandon its last strongholds across Estonia—the nearly 500 public libraries—and expressed categorical opposition to the state retreating from these points.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks everyone and calls upon Anti Allast.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas, speaking on behalf of the Social Democratic Party, expresses sharp opposition to the amendments to the Public Libraries Act. These changes would centralize services and jobs that have successfully operated in county central libraries until now, moving them to Tallinn. He highlights the disregard for regional policy aspects, the risk of dismantling the existing system, and the lack of clarity regarding responsibilities and funding. Allas demands a serious reconsideration of the draft bill to prevent life and opportunities from being shut down outside the capital.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas expressed strong opposition to the amendment of the Public Libraries Act, emphasizing that county-level cooperation and services must be maintained, and the distribution of jobs and funding must not be moved to Tallinn. He also stressed that the proposed changes must be thoroughly considered.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Members of the Riigikogu no longer have requests to speak, and the discussions will be concluded by Minister of Culture Heidy Purga.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Culture Minister Heidy Purga emphasized inclusion during the drafting of the Public Libraries Act, stating that opinions will be collected and discussions will continue, with the aim of using resources efficiently and purposefully while avoiding fragmentation and duplication; the final solution, which involves the law coming into force, can only be assessed after some time, as the reform is planned as a process spanning over five years.
Kultuuriminister Heidy Purga
AI Summary
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga defended the long and complex process of drafting the new Public Library Act, emphasizing that stakeholder engagement has been continuous and substantive. She stressed that the main goal of the reform is not cost-saving, but rather the more targeted and modern use of resources to support the sector's development and prevent fragmentation.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanked those present, closed the discussions, and officially announced that the fifth agenda item had also been successfully processed and concluded.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks the audience and announces that the discussions have concluded and the proceedings for the fifth item on the agenda have been terminated.