First reading of the draft resolution of the Riigikogu "Organizing a referendum on the question of electricity production from oil shale" (581 OE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, plenary session
Date: 2025-05-13 15:04
Total Speeches: 81
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 42m
AI Summaries: 81/81 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The first reading of the draft resolution 581 of the Riigikogu, "Organizing a Referendum on the Cessation of Electricity Production from Oil Shale," presented by the Estonian Centre Party faction and delivered by Lauri Laats, took place during consideration of the third agenda item. The core issue addressed was whether a referendum should be held in Estonia on ending electricity production from oil shale by the year 2040. The discussion focused on energy security, dependence on raw materials, potential economic and social impacts, and the context of the European Union's green transition and the ENMAK development plans. Questions were also raised regarding public involvement, the conditions for organizing referendums, the legitimacy of a referendum, and possible alternative solutions, such as carbon capture technology and the modernization of oil shale power plants.
Decisions Made 1
Bill 581 was returned for its first reading; the Riigikogu adopted the lead committee’s proposal to reject the bill. The voting result was: 41 in favor, 20 against, 0 abstentions. The bill is dropped from the procedure.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Lauri Laats (Member of Parliament, Centre Party faction). His position: other (centrist/party-centric stance; a middle ground loosely connected to the faction), a stable leadership position was reflected in the coalition and debate, and a significant portion of the attention focused on the draft and discussion originating from him.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Under the third item on the agenda, we will discuss the first reading of Riigikogu Draft Resolution 581, submitted by the Estonian Centre Party faction. The resolution concerns holding a referendum on the issue of electricity production from oil shale. The rapporteur is Riigikogu member Lauri Laats.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The Centre Party faction is submitting a bill to the Riigikogu to hold a national referendum on the question of ending electricity production from oil shale by 2040, noting that this is a matter of security and energy reliability, and that public debate and the will of the people are critically important, as the government has thus far made decisions without broad inclusion, and the plans could affect jobs, energy prices, and the future of Estonia's energy security.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speaker announced that the audience had questions and asked Vadim Belobrovtsev to respond.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Vadim Belobrovtsev claims that there have been no referendums in Estonia in recent years and asks why the government doesn't want to poll the public, arguing that an important issue concerning Estonia's future should be put to a referendum, even though similar topics have come up previously and were never put to a popular vote.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats says that the government and the people do not trust each other, which creates a stalemate. Furthermore, the government lacks the genuine support of the majority of the population, and trust in the Riigikogu (Parliament) stands at only about 30%. Therefore, he believes the bill would be a good step toward restoring confidence, at least concerning the Riigikogu.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller invites Vladimir Arhipov to speak.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
This address stresses that the government lacks the mandate to make such a decision, and obtaining that mandate requires one of two paths: either members of the Riigikogu coalition vote in favor, or a national referendum is held. Furthermore, it emphasizes that electricity production from oil shale is crucial for the well-being of the Estonian people, and its sudden termination could lead to a significant increase in electricity prices, undermining the ability of households and businesses to manage their costs and increasing energy dependence on foreign nations.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats concedes that the green energy funding, which amounts to approximately 14 billion, is reducing competitiveness and driving up prices. He calls for this money to be directed towards strengthening healthcare, the social sector, and security, and for the preservation of the oil shale sector. The oil shale sector would contribute over 300 million to the state budget and would be compatible with the 300 million fund designated for Ida-Virumaa.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets acknowledges that investments are difficult due to restrictions on borrowing capacity, and financing for larger projects might only become available in 2027–2028. This highlights the aging of our reserve system and its increasing inability to fulfill its purpose. Furthermore, although the expansion of wind energy continues, the risk of underinvestment is significant, and a method must be found to prevent it.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller requests that the floor be given to Anti Poolamets.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats believes that the failures of Eesti Energia and Enefit Green reveal major systemic anomalies that allow cheap electricity to be sold to Latvia at the expense of taxpayers, and he emphasizes that the least painful, cheapest, and safest way to produce electricity is through oil shale.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller calls upon Rene Kokk and asks him to take the floor.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk emphasizes that EKRE continues to support oil shale energy production and the securing of energy security and reserve capacities, opposes investments directed at the wind turbine frenzy, and criticizes the coalition's decision to end oil shale use. He also offers the idea of holding both the question of oil shale electricity production and extraordinary Riigikogu elections simultaneously as national referendums.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats supports snap elections, saying that the current and previous governments have caused a decline in public trust, and the people must decide for themselves whether oil shale stays or not.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller invites Peeter Ernits to the stage.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits asserts that the Riigikogu is just a rubber stamp, busy scoring political points instead of considering the future, and urges his sensible colleagues to think about what action they should actually take.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that the bill is not about scoring short-term political points, but rather a long and well-thought-out plan for moving Estonia forward. He adds that the will of the people and the gaining of a mandate can only be ensured through broad-based discussion, provided the bill is passed by the Riigikogu.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller called upon Jaak Valge to speak.
Jaak Valge
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaak Valge thanked the submitter of the draft bill, called upon the party to do substantive work for the snap elections, and asked whether the referendum law should be amended to ensure citizens receive balanced information before voting, as is done in Switzerland or Ireland.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats points out that, in terms of democracy, we rank last when it comes to referendums. He argues that we need a broad, continuous process that captures people's opinions in the interim, rather than relying solely on the discussion that occurs only every four years, which he deems insufficient.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller invited Aleksei Jevgrafov to the stage.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The presenter highlights the announcement by Narva power plant workers regarding CO2 capture technology, the installation of which on existing power plants would require an investment of approximately 200–300 million euros. This is tens of times cheaper than the sum the government is allocating for offshore wind farms. The presenter then asks, Dear Lauri, why coalition politicians and the Social Democrats are unwilling to implement this technology and thereby save the oil shale sector.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats claims that the management of Estonia's energy sector is guided by ideology, not pragmatism, and calls for a review of the decisions made in 2011 and 2019, arguing that if consistent investments had been made in oil shale power plants, CO2 would have been largely captured and electricity produced 24/7 at a reasonable price.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a very short speech that only includes addressing Anti Allas and the word "please."
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas stressed that the phasing out of oil shale electricity in Estonia by 2035 has not been fixed in law, even though a gradual phase-out plan was confirmed via the 2021 recovery plan. He then asked why the Centre Party failed to make this decision during the 2016–2022 period and where this sudden new enlightenment has come from for them now.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that Estonia's energy policy is heavily built upon previous decisions and directions set at the EU level, and now we need to hit the brakes and review the entire system, because having the share of green energy match consumption volume is not sustainable, and realistic alternatives must be discussed, such as oil shale and CO2 capture solutions.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Deputy Chairman invited Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart to speak.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker asserts that the Centre Party is different today than it was a few years ago. Their important proposal might receive less support because the decision-makers belong to other parties (including the Social Democrats). Furthermore, due to the high risk associated with the green transition and climate corruption, attention must be paid to these areas. In light of this, he questions whether the decision regarding offshore wind farms was made behind closed doors.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats is criticizing the allocation of 2.6 billion for offshore wind farms, arguing it was done without proper calculation and creates a risk of corruption. He is urging members of the Riigikogu (Parliament) to organize a public vote where the people can decide, and to ensure the debates are held as close to the public as possible.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller calls upon Kersti Sarapuu.
Kersti Sarapuu
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The group discussed the utilization of oil shale, reducing the CO2 footprint, and the manufacturing of by-products across various industrial sectors. While the fuel and related electricity derived from oil shale can be costly, I believe that once the entire technology is fully operational, it will prove its worth.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasized that Estonia’s energy basket must include both green energy sources (wind and solar) and dispatchable oil shale capacities, as well as solutions involving CO2 capture. He stressed that developing the grid and making large investments are crucial, but ENMAK must not signal the phase-out of oil shale—the option to use it in conjunction with CO2 capture must remain.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller invited Evelin Poolamets to speak.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The speaker raises the point that an electricity price similar to Finland's could be achieved in the Baltic region by keeping the oil shale power plants constantly operational, but states that this is impossible due to regulatory reasons and would harm other producers. They then ask whether the high price is artificial and what it would mean for the Estonian economy if we had a price equally low to Finland's.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The price of electricity dictates the trajectory of the Estonian economy, and cheap power is critically important for the development of the IT sector and data centers. However, the lack of hydro energy in Estonia, combined with slow investment in modernizing oil shale and nuclear energy, as well as the impact of grid limitations and weather conditions, makes accessing affordable electricity increasingly difficult.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller invites Vadim Belobrovtsev to speak.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Belobrovtsev criticizes the obstruction of the adoption of the climate law in its original form, as well as its fragmentation or the incorporation of its parts into other draft bills, and asks whether such a practice is consistent with good parliamentary culture and why such intense pressure is being applied to it.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats stated that the climate law is extremely complex and is sparking widespread discussion across society. However, it is crucial to reach a common understanding, especially since, given the context of the green transition and European directives, the specific form and timeline of the regulation reaching Estonia are still up in the air. Furthermore, the Center Party faction is taking a very active role in this debate.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller gives the floor to Henn Põlluaas.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas claims that although the 2017 electricity bill demonstrated the affordability of oil shale energy, the energy sector is caught in a web of falsehoods, and the true cost of renewable energy, including the necessary reconstruction of the grid and substations, is significantly higher. Therefore, he advocates for the continuation of oil shale energy and securing a clear price and energy policy for the public through a national referendum.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The core message of the speech is a call to action, emphasizing that now is your time.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas asks whether this is indeed comparable and of the correct amount and scope.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats claims that the quota economy is an inefficient and overly expensive redistribution system, the costs of which are ultimately borne by homeowners, and which weakens Europe's competitiveness when compared to the USA and China. He further emphasizes that a pragmatic debate, which clearly explains the issues to the public, is essential, and this bill provides an opportunity to bring this discussion before the people.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
He invited Anti Allas to present next.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas emphasizes that the mistake has been acknowledged, but he asks why it needs to be fixed in such a complicated and expensive way when simply amending ENMAK and providing a straightforward description of the oil shale utilization process in the coming years would suffice.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats noted that amending ENMAK requires a couple of additional deputies from the coalition and the Social Democrats' willingness to negotiate. Otherwise, there will be no political will, and the changes will not materialize.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller called upon Aleksei Jevgrafov to speak.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jevgrafov emphasizes the social consequences of ending electricity production from oil shale in Ida-Virumaa: Narva previously benefited from low electricity and heating prices and high employment, but now unemployment is among the highest in Estonia, and the price of heat has nearly tripled. He questions whether the Social Democratic Party and Narva Mayor Katri Raik are aware of Narva’s problems, or if the underlying issue lies elsewhere.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats stated that Narva’s problems primarily stem from the closure of the local incineration plant and the subsequent threefold increase in heating prices, which burdens the residents of the region and affects employment in Ida-Viru County. Furthermore, the state’s alternative program may not be able to guarantee all jobs, because phasing out the oil shale sector weakens Estonia’s security and negatively impacts Ida-Viru County.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller asks Henn Põlluaas to take the floor.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas asserts that the 2.6 billion euro subsidy for the offshore wind farm is riddled with falsehoods, and the right-wing government has not abandoned it; it has merely been suspended. The special planning process is continuing, and they are awaiting EU rules that would permit an even larger subsidy, all while observing that electricity is expensive in countries where renewable energy is widely utilized, whereas electricity in Finland is considerably cheaper.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller announces that your time has come.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas asks what the purpose of the high energy prices is, prices that appear to be directly destroying the state and the economy.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats asserts that Estonian leaders primarily operate based on immediate emotions and short-term plans, and that the lack of a long-term vision extending to 2035–2040 proves a micromanagement leadership style. He emphasizes the necessity of placing leaders in more significant roles so they can recognize broader connections and govern the country on a wider scale.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Deputy Chairman concluded the questions, stated that they would now proceed to the discussion held in the lead committee, and asked Katrin Kuusemäe, a member of the Constitutional Committee, to serve as the rapporteur.
Katrin Kuusemäe
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The Constitutional Committee discussed the draft legislation concerning the referendum on electricity production from oil shale. It confirmed that Estonia lacks a specific phase-out date and that the energy sector development plan, which is due to be presented by the beginning of 2026, is merely a vision document. The Committee emphasized that the European Commission's funding agreements do not preclude the use of oil shale even after 2026, should the situation demand it. Furthermore, although the government has not yet made any decisions, the Committee decided to place the bill on the plenary session agenda for April 23rd, propose its rejection, and appoint Katrin Kuusemäe as the rapporteur.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller informs the audience that they have at least one question, and invites Aleksandr Tšaplõgin to pose his question.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He asks why the idea of a referendum is disliked and if they don't trust their own people.
Katrin Kuusemäe
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The Commission discussed the current need for a referendum and concluded that it might be appropriate to hold it after 2026, a position which was also confirmed by the bill's presenter.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller invites Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart to speak.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker requested a roll-call vote, citing the minutes, to identify who voted in favor of rejecting the draft bill at the first reading and who voted against.
Katrin Kuusemäe
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The voting result was that Anti Allas, Ando Kiviberg, Katrin Kuusemäe, Kalle Laanet, Andrus Seeme, and Peeter Tali voted in favor; Lauri Laats and Jaak Valge voted against; and Ants Frosch and Helir-Valdor Seeder abstained from voting.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Currently, green energy makes up half of the energy produced in Estonia. Last year, consumers subsidized its production by 23 million euros, and if the entire energy sector goes green, that sum will double—don’t you feel sorry for our people?
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller asks for Aleksandr Tšaplõgin to be called to the stage.
Katrin Kuusemäe
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Katrin Kuusemäe said she would be happy to discuss the topic, but that specific issue and those figures were not discussed in the committee.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Vice-Chairman calls upon Jaak Valge to speak.
Jaak Valge
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaak Valge notes that Estonia's current debate on energy issues has been primitive, and suggests that if a referendum were organized correctly—with informational materials sent directly to people's homes—the level of the discussion could potentially rise. He then questions whether those who voted against the current referendum would still agree with that position in 2026.
Katrin Kuusemäe
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Speaking as a member of the Constitutional Committee, he said that the distrust between the people and the government isn't that significant, and while he isn't fundamentally against the referendum, he can't yet predict whether the situation in 2026 will look different or exactly the same.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Deputy Chairman calls Peeter Ernits to the stage.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
I constantly monitor Swiss referendums because Switzerland is a relatively democratic country, and we could learn from it—not just concerning oil shale.
Katrin Kuusemäe
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Although I am not very familiar with Swiss referendums, I agree with you that they are not held excessively often in Estonia, and I believe that if the debate is broader and the question is truly one that should be put to the Estonian people, then there is no doubt that a referendum will be held.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller announces the opening of negotiations with the factions and invites Evelin Poolamets to take the floor on behalf of the EKRE faction.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets emphasizes that Estonia's green transition is founded on hope, not knowledge, and that wind and solar energy are not economically sustainable without significant subsidies and tariffs. Therefore, we must focus on utilizing oil shale alongside modern fluidized bed technology, which would reduce CO2 emissions and provide us with valuable by-products, thus ensuring energy security and the competitiveness of the Estonian economy.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller's speech began with an expression of gratitude, and a request was subsequently made on behalf of Lauri Laats by the Estonian Centre Party faction.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that Estonia plans to stop producing electricity from oil shale by 2035 and cease all use of oil shale in the energy sector by 2040, which is consistent with ENMAK. However, widespread support for this plan is lacking, and he calls on the Riigikogu to organize a referendum to gain a popular mandate or to hold snap elections.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
He asks if you need more time.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Yeah, the final words were already coming, but there was only a minute left.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
He is asking for one more minute.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
A referendum must be held so that the public can decide on the direction of our energy policy: whether we utilize our own natural resources, such as oil shale, and create added value, or if we instead favor the economies of other countries by purchasing gas and other products.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller declared the discussions closed and announced that the leading committee recommends rejecting Bill 581 at the first reading, thereby initiating preparations for the vote and asking the members of the Riigikogu to take a stand and cast their votes.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Riigikogu voted 41 in favor of the motion, 20 against, with zero abstentions; Bill 581 was rejected and removed from the legislative procedure, concluding today's sitting.