First reading of the draft law on the state's supplementary budget for 2025 (651 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, Fifth Session, Plenary Session
Date: 2025-06-02 18:12
Total Speeches: 118
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 47m
AI Summaries: 118/118 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The first reading of the draft supplementary budget law for 2025, bill number 651, took place in the plenary session of the Riigikogu. The primary focus is on strengthening national defense and financing non-military national defense tasks, with planned one-time expenditures of approximately 44 million euros; no new positions will be created. The expected impact on the budget for a broad range of national defense activities is roughly 39 million euros, or about 0.1% of GDP. The supplementary budget adjusts revenues from foreign aid and economic activity, and according to project specifications and priorities, expenditures will be reallocated; 25 million euros will be added for financing transactions (including an investment fund and Eesti Energia's share capital). Revenue will also increase by 26.6 million euros, expenditures by 46.5 million euros, and investment transactions by 32.5 million euros. The first reading was concluded and the bill will proceed to the second reading. The debate during the session reflected transparency concerns regarding the budget, criticism, and broader questions – including the justifications for income thresholds, national defense, and expenditure reallocations – and different factions presented opposing positions.
Decisions Made 2
The motion to reject the first reading of Bill 651 (from the Centre Party and the Isamaa faction) did not receive sufficient support; the vote resulted in 14 in favor, 45 against, and 1 abstention. The first reading was concluded; the bill moves on to the second reading.
The deadline for submitting amendments was set for June 6th at 4:00 PM.
Most Active Speaker
Andrei Korobeinik (Isamaa) – right-wing position; the most active speaker throughout the discussion, he presented and represented several questions and viewpoints regarding budget transparency, national defense, and the supplementary budget. Korobeinik's activity and the strong engagement in his speech place him as one of the most prominent participants; in the main lines of his presentations and questions, he often emphasizes right-wing viewpoints and areas of cooperation between the opposition and the government.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announced that the first item on today's agenda is the first reading of Draft Act 651 concerning the state's 2025 supplementary budget, and he asked Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi to serve as the rapporteur.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that this year's supplementary budget primarily focuses on strengthening national defense, allocating 44 million euros for national defense purposes in non-military sectors. No new positions will be added. The effect of comprehensive national defense is approximately 0.1% of GDP. Furthermore, the supplementary budget adjusts revenues by 26.6 million euros and expenditures by 46.5 million euros, and investment transactions by 32.5 million euros, based on project specifications or prioritization.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the Minister and called upon Andrei Korobeinik to ask a question.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Andrei Korobeinik calls for continuing the discussion on economic growth and asks whom to believe, because while economic growth is being talked about, according to the ERR report, it fell in the previous quarter.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that the supplementary budget neither boosts nor reduces economic growth, and that official data must be trusted. He explained that the first quarter was negative compared to the fourth due to one-off factors (a car buying boom at the end of the year), which was followed by a slump, but the growth forecast valid for the year remains.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman invites Vadim Belobrovtsevi to speak.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Vadim Belobrovtsev believes that both last year's and this year's budgets, as well as the supplementary budget, are incomprehensible, and ordinary people don't understand where the money is going. He then asks whether this supplementary budget is any better or clearer than the previous state budget.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that the budget was professionally drafted and detailed, and was not intended for everyone to understand. He added that the Riigikogu should focus on budgetary policy and consult with experts who are technically better informed, rather than debating the technical aspects of the budget.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman expresses deep gratitude and invites Urmas Reinsalu.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu is essentially asking why the government is not planning priority expenditures and a negative supplementary budget, including the reallocation of costs, to cover specific expenditures, and why the Minister of Finance defends such a political choice, given that the carry-over of over 300 million euros in government expenditures from last year to this year exceeds the deficit being increased by the supplementary budget.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes that the state budget must be sequentially reduced annually by 5%, 3%, and 2%. Salary and operational expenditures are subject to the main budget cuts, and certain sectors are prohibited from increasing these costs in the supplementary budget—these are one-off expenditures.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He notes that there has been criticism regarding budget transparency from both the Fiscal Council and the Chancellor of Justice, and asks whose criticism should be taken into account, and whether these critics even exist in today's free world.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Andrei Korobeinik to speak.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi remarked ironically that the discussion surrounding budget transparency is inevitably futile, because the budget will never truly be clear. Furthermore, the more complex you make it and the more you demand transparency, the more impossible it becomes to find anything within it. Consequently, the budget's format must be adapted to meet these insistent demands, but reading it leaves the average citizen hopelessly indifferent. As for what Peter Lõhmus said, he must state that himself.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman offered his thanks and then turned to Andrei Korobeinik, posing a question about the procedure for conducting the session.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Andrei Korobeinik stated that the question regarding Jürgen Ligi's opinion leaders was very straightforward, but the response received was lengthy and failed to address the question. He then asked whether the answer would require a formal inquiry (interpellation) or if the rapporteur would answer after all.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar said that the discussion has been long, and the rapporteur is answering independently. If they stick to the topic, the session chair cannot intervene. Furthermore, you have many opportunities to ask the Minister of Finance questions—during the information hour, through inquiries, and via written questions—and I believe that you are a very active member of the Riigikogu and always utilize these opportunities.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu criticized the budget, noting a series of allocations of a few thousand euros to specific projects (Ugala Theatre, museums, Tehvandi, etc.). He asked the Minister of Finance whether these were simply pork-barrel funds ahead of the local elections or independent expenditures, and why the purpose of these financial resources was not clear in the explanatory memorandum.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that many of the commission’s questions are internal clarifications for the year, the money is moving within the administration, and the commission should focus on larger issues instead of dealing with trivial details.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Vladimir Arhipov to the stage.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arhipov drew attention to a draft bill under which borrowed funds would be used as capital contributions to the share capital of Eesti Energia and the Tallinn Joint Hospital. He questioned whether such a funding policy is responsible, given that the budget deficit already stands at 1.6% of GDP.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
This has absolutely no bearing on the budget deficit and is a budget-neutral activity; Eesti Energia uses this for equity investments and naturally leverages it with external capital; The Tallinn hospital project involves a small sum, roughly a few tens of thousands, which allows the project to move forward, but you cannot build the hospital itself with that money; building the hospital might be consistent with fiscally responsible financing, but that topic is not relevant right now.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He/She thanks the respected Minister, notes that the document lacks information regarding the reduction of administrative costs, and points out that Estonia ranks first in Europe in terms of the number of officials per taxpayer.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks that Aleksandr Chaplygin be called to the stage.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Speaking about administrative costs related to national defense, Jürgen Ligi stated that the cuts have already been written into the budget and the additional costs are one-off, as accelerating defense procurements is not possible, and this relates to the scope of comprehensive national defense.
Tanel Kiik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tanel Kiik asked why the supplementary budget included few changes directly impacting people in the social sector, and whether the government did not consider it necessary to raise the subsistence level, drawing a comparison with the example of the 2022 supplementary budget.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Tanel Kiik to the stage.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that the government does not solely support distributing money only to the low-income, and that the supplementary budget must address various issues important to the public. He noted that while raising the subsistence level would, in his opinion, be a policy choice he would support in the current situation, it is not possible to implement it in that format mid-year.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar calls upon Jaak Aab.
AI Summary
Jaak Aab is asking for confirmation whether this current supplementary budget will be the last one this year, and whether the investments made by the Ministry of Defence and the Centre for Defence Investments, including ammunition procurements, will require another supplementary budget or not.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that although it is necessary to change the budget format and increase the scope for decisions, accelerating defense procurements is not possible this year, and the budget will focus on non-military expenditures, because the defense industry is currently under great pressure.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman invites Tanel Kiik to the stage.
Tanel Kiik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tanel Kiik backed the national defense decisions but questioned whether the government was prepared to discuss raising the subsistence level given the rising cost of living, noting that people are already facing financial hardship today.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi notes that the Social Democrats have not been leaders in national defense, and their ambitions only surface when they hold the portfolio of the Minister of the Interior. He states that the supplementary budget consists only of one-off expenditures designed to create fiscal space for the coming years; permanent costs are not permitted within it, and although raising the subsistence level is a permanent cost, he does not support the rushed, mid-year, post-crisis increase.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanks Tanel Kiik and notes that he has a question regarding the procedures for conducting the session.
Tanel Kiik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tanel Kiik made a technical correction, noting that the minister used the Riigikogu podium primarily to attack the party rather than to answer the question.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Presiding Officer Lauri Hussar stressed the importance of mutual respect as the best way to conduct the debate and called upon Priit Sibul to ask a question.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul said that, due to the limited production capacity cited in the introduction, additional armament procurements cannot be carried out. He also asked why these supplementary budget expenditures could not be included in next year's budget, given that next year's budgets will be more complex, and the explanation of the needs remained unclear.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
He stressed the need for a frank debate, explaining that one-off expenditures in the defense and internal security sectors were shifted to the current year to keep the budget at 5% of GDP, and pointed out that delays in defense procurements could create problems next year.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Riina Sikkut to speak.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut voiced concern in the Finance Committee that fixed revenues fail to cover fixed expenditures—a problem spanning the time before COVID, during COVID, before the war, after the war, and continuing until the end of the State Budget Strategy (RES) period. She then asked how this issue could be permanently resolved.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that the mandate for the supplementary budget included a prohibition on increasing permanent expenditures, and the raising of the subsistence level was not discussed, but additional expenditures cannot be permitted in the future because the growth of defense expenditures strains the budget, and the policy change of 2016 destroyed the structural surplus and led to a deficit.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar turned to Reili Rand and said, "Please."
Reili Rand
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Reili Rand initially welcomed the allocation of additional funds to national defense. She stressed the importance of people's ability to cope as a factor in security and inquired whether the supplementary budget process included measures aimed at alleviating financial pressures on families, such as standardizing family benefits or increasing the compensation provided for school meals.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Jürgen Ligi points out that school meals are not a national security issue. He suggests that education should focus more heavily on content and teachers, food subsidies should be targeted more effectively, and the responsibility for school food and associated costs should be shared between the state and local municipalities.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar called Priit Sibul to the stage.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul is requesting clarification regarding the Ministry of Culture's budget amendments, asking whether funds unused last year were transferred into the current year's budget and allocated for repair work, and whether the issue of the Põlva shooting range was on the agenda during this year's budget proceedings.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi explained that the internal reallocation within the budget is a technical accounting matter that does not affect the funds being carried over, adding that the most precise answer would be provided by his officials, and if necessary, he would submit the data in writing.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar calls upon Helmen Kütt.
Helmen Kütt
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helmen Kütt maintained her dissenting opinion regarding school meals and the subsistence level. She also requested a sum of 25–30 million euros in the supplementary budget for improving the SKAIS IT system, emphasizing that this concern has been raised by both the Social Insurance Board and the Prime Minister, and that financial resources are needed for the work—will the supplementary budget solve this?
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
The Minister of Finance said that SKAIS is a longer-term issue than the supplementary budget, and although the concern has been acknowledged and the Minister of Social Affairs has informed us about it, it is a priority for next year's budget, not for this supplementary budget.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman called Riina Sikkut to speak.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut asked how to ensure a sustainable budget policy and adequate coverage by permanent revenues, considering that permanent revenues have failed to cover permanent expenditures over the last decade, and this situation is only worsened by the maximum spending permitted in the supplementary budget and the acceleration of one-off costs.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi briefly concludes that maintaining a structural surplus ensured readiness for crises and maneuverability, recalls the decisions made in 2016, and confirms that he neither supported them nor took responsibility. Furthermore, while he makes no promises regarding a supplementary budget, he hopes to achieve a better result next year.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar calls upon Reili Rand and asks her to take the floor.
Reili Rand
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Reili Rand discusses, via Tallinn’s supplementary budget, the abolition of kindergarten place fees or the creation of free kindergarten places. She highlights the increasing burden this places both on the capital and on surrounding local governments, and asks whether this could be a nationwide change, whereby kindergarten would become part of the education system and be free for all Estonian families.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that the kindergarten fee should remain in place until budget coverage is found, arguing that early childhood education should be free while higher education should not. He added that there is no strong logic in simultaneously offering free university education while charging a kindergarten placement fee, since neither of those educational levels is mandatory, whereas school education is.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme said that the Ministry of Finance is transferring 584 million euros, which falls under last year’s limit, to the 2025 budget. She noted that no additional funds were introduced; rather, the existing amount is simply being distributed.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Helle-Moonika Helme to speak.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi is asking for someone to speak into the microphone.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The central message of the speech is not to scatter, but to regroup.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Mrs. Helme to speak closer to the microphone.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that one should speak into the microphone and not just read from paper, adding that he had completely lost the beginning.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Summary: Speaking closer to the microphone improves audibility. The minister’s remark regarding the poor sound quality was justified. And thank you very much, and you’re welcome, Mrs. Helme.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
This supplementary budget does not introduce new money; instead, it reallocates existing funds and emphasizes priorities, such as 2.5 million for the Government Office and strengthening state propaganda, while 8 million was not available for teachers' salary increases.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi invited the audience to put forward clear questions regarding spending, and promised to discuss them only if he understood exactly what the issue was about. He suggested asking the question again or delegating it to a neighbor who was closer and understood the matter better.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Mart Maastik to come up on stage.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik calmly asks whether labor costs will increase or decrease in the supplementary budget, and what the overall balance of these costs and revenues is.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
The prerequisite for the supplementary budget is that no new permanent costs are incurred. Consequently, this means that no new positions will be created and no salary increases will be implemented. The coalition has set an annual savings target of 5%, 3%, and 2%—in labor costs, operating expenses, and subsidies, respectively. Achieving this has proven difficult across various sectors, particularly in the field of culture, and may result in indirect personnel changes.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman invites Anti Poolamets to take the floor.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets criticizes the obvious disrespect shown toward members of the Riigikogu and demands an explanation of how climate change mitigation and adaptation, along with the costs incurred through the supplementary budget, are functioning, arguing that the explanatory memorandum and the expenditures appear strange.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi criticized the logical connection between Helme's tirades and the question itself, emphasizing that the introduction should lead directly to the question rather than wandering off topic.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar proposes that we immediately address the specific question and attempt to find an answer to it.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
The core message of the speech is that the matter is indeed exactly as stated.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar emphasizes that we can continue the discussion very respectfully right here.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
The issue of climate change is not concrete, in his view, and climate policy is largely determined by the policy choices of other ministries. Consequently, he does not prohibit these projects from moving forward and encourages the inquirer to read the documents so that he can describe the policy choices as accurately as he knows.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Madis Kallas to take the floor.
Madis Kallas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Madis Kallas asked the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture whether any additional proposals had been received for the supplementary budget, and whether public transport funding, in particular, was on the table to cover the deficit.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that the prerequisite for the supplementary budget was not increasing permanent expenditures, and that no additional funding would be provided without incorporating the Ministry of Regional Affairs' public transport reform and a meaningful change, because all plans must currently be executed within the existing budget framework and against a backdrop of continuous austerity measures.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Helle-Moonika Helme to speak.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
When inquiring about the state's 2025 supplementary budget bill and the funding of e-elections, Helle-Moonika Helme asserts that the system is already a priori unconstitutional and undemocratic, and requests clarification on what the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs plans to do to enhance its security.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that IT systems can always be improved, and the evolution of technology and the growing potential for cyberattacks necessitate clearly defined priorities. However, he did not understand the question posed and asked for it to be restated.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman calls upon Helir-Valdor Seeder.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder raises the point that for the supplementary budget, revenue projections are being set lower and expenditures higher, and asks why the redistribution of funds—due to the Ministry of Finance's favorable electricity costs—does not lead to a surplus in other ministries, and whether the Estonian electricity price is currently cheap.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi claims that the price of electricity is an overhyped issue, arguing that electricity accounts for less than 1% of business expenses and about 4% of household costs. He adds that while the price might drop in the summer and savings are noted, it is not politically sensible to admit that electricity is cheap when the price is negative or zero, because, in his view, the overall cost of living and food prices are more significant.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman calls upon Mart Maastik to speak.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik says that the mentioned 1% is ridiculous due to the impact of energy prices, comments on the supplementary budget, emphasizes that labor costs have risen by over 5 million euros, and asks where the savings will come from if labor prices have actually increased.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi questions labor costs.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He/She explains that the supplementary budget requests over five million in additional funding specifically for labor costs.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
In his presentation, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi noted that the impact of electricity prices on overall prices is relatively small, and that lowering taxes and abolishing the Isamaa tax kink will provide a stimulus to the economy, adding that restoring the tax system is worthwhile. However, he stressed that the hidden impact of labor costs and wage growth in national defense and healthcare require attention.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar gives his thanks and turns to Anti Allas with a request.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas inquired why public transport subsidies increase year after year, why the budget fails to reflect the true costs stemming from infrastructure expenditures, why the supplementary budget is unable to put an end to this trend, and whether similar issues are present in other fields as well.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
According to Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi, a viable project for the structural reform of public transport has not materialized, nor has the government reached a clear agreement. Although part of the funding is planned to be allocated as earmarked support from the reserve, the reform remains incomplete, and there is hope that a result will finally be achieved.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar called Vladimir Arhipov forward.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov is criticizing the 37 million euro shortfall in funding for public transport centers, asking why that amount isn't immediately allocated to the budget, given that B, C, and D plans will already have to be drawn up in September or October if the financing doesn't materialize.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that the questions did not concern the supplementary budget, and he would not start describing the entire country because he had already been answering for too long.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar called Anti Poolamets.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets is criticizing the 2.5 million euro increase in funding allocated to the activities of the Government Office under the umbrella of comprehensive national defense, as well as the provision of state support to private media for local publications, arguing that this could turn into an arm of state power.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that while the EKRE-like distrust of the media and criticism regarding brainwashing are understandable, the funding allocated to the media through project applications must be ensured to be fair and nationally purposeful. Furthermore, even if recognized publications are allowed to submit applications, this must not result in them "wearing a party hat" (i.e., becoming overtly partisan), and he approaches this issue relatively leniently.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar addresses Anti Allas with a request.
Anti Allas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Allas emphasized that Parliament must control the budget and questioned why sums ranging from several tens of millions up to over 30 million euros are consistently being earmarked for public transport, why these amounts are not included in the state budget, and why Parliament cannot authorize their use to cover the deficit.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Funds have been earmarked for specific purposes and will be distributed, with cost formulas being calculated, even though this is not the personal preference of Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi. The public transport reform is currently pending. The previous plan for free transport would have been simpler, and the costs would have skyrocketed, but abandoning that policy was the right decision. Building a new transport system is proving to be slightly beyond the ministry's current capacity, but a better solution will be identified.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanks the Minister, says that there are no further questions, and now invites Diana Ingerainen, a member of the Finance Committee, to the Riigikogu rostrum to make her presentation.
Diana Ingerainen
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The Finance Committee discussed the draft bill. Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi presented it, and committee members posed questions, some of which were answered in writing. It was decided by consensus that the draft bill would be placed on the plenary agenda for June 2nd, the first reading would be concluded, I would be designated as the representative of the lead committee, and the deadline for submitting amendments would be set for June 6th.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanked the rapporteur, announced that there were no questions, opened the debate, and invited Andrei Korobeinik to the rostrum on behalf of the Centre Party faction.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Korobeinik accuses the Reform Party of Estonia's three-year economic decline, claiming that the supplementary budget will not spur growth, and arguing that tax breaks aimed at the wealthy coupled with a large state apparatus are deepening inequality.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requested three minutes of extra time.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The biggest problem is the opacity of the budget drafting principles, which makes it difficult to understand the content of the programs during a crisis. And if the Reform Party fails to change these principles next year, we will remain mired in the economic crisis and rank among the lowest in the European Union for growth.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker thanks the assembly and announces that the motion for rejection has been tabled, then invites Urmas Reinsalu to the Riigikogu rostrum, and requests three minutes of additional time.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu stated that the Reform Party's tax increases and the growth of government expenditures increase the burden on people and businesses, as well as the risk of inflation. Isamaa demands a negative supplementary budget to reduce administrative costs by at least the same extent as the tax changes, and also demands the abandonment of pork-barrel spending (katuserahad) and the plan to lower the tax on internet casinos, in order to finance internal security.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker called upon her colleague, Riina Sikkut, to take the Riigikogu podium and speak on behalf of the Social Democratic Party faction.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut emphasized that the subsistence level must be raised quickly and corresponding changes must be made in the supplementary budget so that those who are struggling the most can receive aid, and this cannot wait until after the 2027 elections. Simultaneously, it is necessary to accelerate the increase in comprehensive national defense expenditures.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanked [the previous speaker] and invited Anti Poolamets to the Riigikogu rostrum to speak on behalf of the EKRE faction.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets claims that the coalition is incapable of ensuring economic growth or national defense, and he criticizes the allocation of funds to the media and local publications, which he views as being aimed at distorting information and influencing voters. He emphasizes the need for a debate that accurately reflects reality and prioritizes economic growth.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announces that you will be given three additional minutes.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets is complaining that the state is influencing journalism in its own interests, and that the funds—over three million euros—earmarked for the Riigikogu Chancellery's e-voting information systems could have instead been directed toward foreign policy, Ukrainian diplomacy, and restoring the country's reputation within the international community.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announced that the debate would be concluded, and that two identical proposals from the Center Party and Isamaa factions sought to reject Bill 651 at the first reading and put the matter to a vote.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announced that the first reading of Bill 651 has concluded: 14 Riigikogu members supported the proposal, 45 were against, and 1 abstained. The deadline for submitting amendments is June 6th at 4 PM, and before moving on to the second item on the agenda, it was stated that Helle-Moonika Helme's hand went up accidentally.