Interpellation concerning the demographic crisis and its resolution (No. 232)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session.
Date: 2024-01-15 20:09
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 60
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 49m
AI Summaries: 60/60 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) debated the interpellation (No. 232) submitted by members of the EKRE faction concerning the demographic crisis and its resolution. Rain Epler, the submitter of the interpellation, highlighted Estonia's catastrophically low birth rate (fewer than 11,000 births in 2023) and noted that Estonia surpasses its immediate neighbors in terms of immigration volumes, which negatively affects economic indicators. Epler criticized the Prime Minister's responses for their monotonous, pre-rehearsed delivery.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas responded that the decline in the birth rate is caused by uncertainty linked to several crises (the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation). She affirmed that the government is working towards restoring stability and listed measures such as a comprehensive analysis of family benefits and parental allowance, increasing the flexibility of work-life balance, and supporting regional policy. Kallas also emphasized a controlled migration policy based on the 0.1% quota. Regarding education, she highlighted the results of the PISA study and the goal of raising teachers' salaries to 120% of the average wage by 2027. Representatives of the opposition parties (Mart Helme, Martin Helme, Varro Vooglaid, and others) criticized the government's responses as propaganda detached from reality and accused the government of taking anti-family steps (e.g., reducing benefits for large families, changing the definition of marriage). Varro Vooglaid highlighted the high abortion rate (one in five conceived children is terminated) and asked about the government's plan to reduce it. The Prime Minister defended the government's actions, denied using immigration as a demographic solution, and countered the claim that financial benefits directly increase the birth rate, citing examples from other European countries. The session concluded with a sharp procedural dispute between the session chair and Mart Helme.
Decisions Made 1
Decisions were not made
Most Active Speaker
Varro Vooglaid (EKRE, conservative) was active both in asking questions (specifically on the topic of abortion) and in negotiations, providing detailed and passionate criticism concerning the government’s lack of a family policy vision, and citing examples of Hungarian family policy measures.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The Riigikogu will consider the interpellation concerning the demographic crisis and its resolution (No. 232), submitted on May 13, 2023, by Helle-Moonika Helme, Mart Helme, Siim Pohlaku, Henn Põlluaasa, Kalle Grünthal, Kert Kingo, and Rain Epler. Rain Epler will introduce the interpellation from the Riigikogu rostrum.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler highlighted the demographic crisis in Estonia: the birth rate has plunged to a catastrophic level, immigration is higher compared to neighboring countries, and the resulting economic and productivity impacts demand responses and concrete action.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked his colleague, pointing out that the word “rattling off” (or “gabbling”) when directed at the Prime Minister could carry a negative connotation, and suggested that it would be better to simply request slower speech than to use that specific word. He further explained that supplementary questions belong within the question round and must not be submitted as a separate formal interpellation.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stated that Estonia is tackling the demographic crisis through a multifaceted approach: we will increase support for families and work-life flexibility, update sickness and care benefits as well as support for children with special needs, improve the school network, teachers’ salaries, and training opportunities, invest in regional development and the cultural and educational vitality of young people, increase the accessibility of health and welfare services, and continue a controlled migration policy that keeps the national culture alive and enables young people to study abroad and bring their experiences back to Estonia.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The address begins with thanks and announces that it is now time for questions, inviting Mart Helme to take the floor.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme criticizes the influence of the liberal coalition and the liberal media, as well as the scaring of young people with the topics of climate catastrophe and war, and claims that ending this would bring people more joy in life and result in more children in the future.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that she is not intimidating anyone, hears a hostile attitude coming from you, and if there is a criticism, we will try to do better, but you must also try to do better.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi invites Jaak Valge to the stage.
Jaak Valge
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaak Valge criticizes immigration quotas as farcical, emphasizes Estonia's low number of healthy life years and its impact on the workforce, calculates that compared to the European average, we could gain about 40,000 working people, and asks what the government plans to do to increase the number of healthy life years and what the Population Policy Commission has done on this topic so far.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas emphasized that living a healthy life is crucial, adding that the alcohol problem is significant, especially against the backdrop of regional disparities. Therefore, she plans to raise the alcohol excise tax, though she noted that this measure is minor when weighed against the harmful impact of alcohol on individuals and families.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi invites Ants Frosch to speak.
Ants Frosch
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Against the backdrop of the demographic situation, Ants Frosch raises the question of whether the government has already discussed a rapid and more intensive increase in the pension age, and whether and when this increase will be aligned with life expectancy forecasts in the coming years.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
This has not been discussed yet.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi invites Siim Pohlak to speak.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak poses a self-critical question: have the Reform Party governments made major missteps in family policy? He highlights the dramatic drop in the birth rate, the cutting of benefits for large families, and the insecurity felt by young people due to the war. He then asks what could have been done better and for whom we are building this country if the succeeding generation is shrinking away.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Kaja Kallas says that the criticism here has been very clearly articulated, and she is just letting things be.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
During the address, Martin Helme was called up to the stage.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme deemed the introductory response inadequate, comparing it to Brezhnev's Soviet propaganda and German propaganda from 1945. He asserted that the promises concerning migration and teachers' salaries do not reflect reality, noting that teachers' strikes are imminent, and recommended firing the person who drafted the response, even offering to provide propaganda training.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas emphasizes that teacher salaries increased by 24% in 2023, and starting from January 2024, the minimum salary will rise by 3.1% and the calculated average salary by 5.7%. Consequently, the minimum salary will be 1,803 euros and the average salary will be 2,164 euros. Furthermore, the coalition agreement sets the goal of reaching 120% of the national average salary by 2027, a target we intend to continue keeping in sight throughout 2024.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech is simply inviting Varro Vooglaid to come and speak.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid raises the issue of teachers' salaries and asks the government whether every fifth child conceived in 2022 was eliminated before birth with the financial support of the state, and what the plan is to ensure more of these children are born.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas emphasizes that women's sense of security and their ability to have children are paramount, ensuring that women are not left unsupported when raising a child. She notes that the number of abortions is steadily decreasing, and sexual education for both girls and boys helps prevent unwanted pregnancies—stressing that no one should ever be forced to give birth.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi called upon Rain Epler to speak.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler criticized the Prime Minister's monotonous answering style and questioned how the statement made after the elections—"I didn't tell the truth because otherwise I wouldn't have gotten votes"—could affect the mental health of people, especially voters.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The main message of the speech is that it is time to act.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kallas confirmed that they are being truthful about their promises and will deliver on them, that the government program bears the stamp of the Reform Party, and that they will invest in security and reduce the tax burden, adding that others—namely, their voters—should be the ones worrying.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi smiled, said that it was nice, and called Arvo Aller.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller emphasizes that a sense of security and a good living environment in Estonia, especially in rural areas, encourage people to return and boost the birth rate. However, he questions how tax increases—including VAT, income tax, and excise duties—might negatively impact this sense of security and the sustainability of the Estonian nation-state.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirms that the tax burden in Estonia is 33.8%, fluctuating between 33% and 34%, noting it was 34% in 2019. She further asserts that her government's tax increases are not significant and that the opposition's accusation of taxing the country to death is unfounded.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This statement is simply a request to invite Kalle Grünthal here.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal asked Kaja Kallas what the government has done to address the demographic crisis, and requested that the answer include a reference to the relevant law.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stated that the priority is how Estonians return to Estonia, and that we have boosted the confidence of individuals and families; she added that she would not read the remainder aloud again to save time.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi asked Kert Kingo to put a question to the Prime Minister.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo submitted an interpellation, asking how the government's policies — gay propaganda, gay marriages, various tax hikes, the belittling of mothers of large families, taking away additional funds from them, Russification, and the destruction of the economy and entrepreneurship — promote the birth rate.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
He notes that he is being accused of things he doesn't do, and emphasizes that marriage equality ensures equal opportunities for everyone, and children must not face discrimination based on who their parents love.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi invited Anti Poolamets to speak.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets pointed out that although the Prime Minister has stated that financial benefits do not help increase the birth rate, the data regarding the increase in the third-child benefit in 2018, along with Allan Puur’s findings, demonstrate the significance of its impact. He now asks what the current position is: can such benefits actually increase the birth rate after all?
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas acknowledged that the amount of child benefits does not correlate with the birth rate, and due to contemporary crises, the fertility rate is at a record low in Italy, Finland, Norway, Latvia, and Sweden.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi invites Helle-Moonika Helme to take the floor.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme asserts that despite the propaganda, the state must ensure women's sense of security, citing the rising number of suicides and over 3,000 abortions annually.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes that it is time to act.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme notes that people are putting money into the soda machine.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
He thanks Helle-Moonika and announces that it's time.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He/She said that there are toxic comments coming from there, and maybe those children would come if those benefits were raised.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi calls for the start of the response to the question and addresses Kaja Kallas.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is criticizing the significant reduction of the alcohol excise duty, arguing that cheaper alcohol increases health risks. She also added that all comments should reach the transcript via the microphone.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanks Evelin Poolamets and asks her to speak, but the chamber is talking, and he requests silence from his colleagues.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets asks whether immigration could also save Estonia from the demographic crisis.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas urged listeners not to speculate.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked the Prime Minister, acknowledged him for his use of facts and his factual knowledge, and asked Kert Kingo whether the question posed to the chair of the sitting was still pending.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo brought up the point that freedom of speech during Riigikogu sessions is becoming more and more restricted, and she asked if the board intends to start compiling a list of forbidden words specifically for members of the opposition in the future.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi explained that he had not stated that the word "vuristamine" (rattling off/blurting out) must not be used in the future, but rather pointed out its use when addressing the Prime Minister. He checked the dictionary of the Estonian Language Institute, offered a clarification, and stressed that the pace is dependent on the speakers, and that he personally found it manageable.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme criticized the session chair for procedural inconsistency and requested that the same level of scrutiny and remarks be applied to Kaja Kallas, urging party and coalition representatives to stick to the topics at hand and avoid making personal remarks.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi stated that today offered the best wordplay, which was not offensive and stirred emotion in the chamber, and explained that according to the Riigikogu procedure, remarks may be made if necessary, and he is now opening the debate, giving the floor to Varro Vooglaid.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid accuses the government of causing a demographic crisis and taking anti-family measures, noting that they lack a realistic plan for improving the situation, and calls for the implementation of family-friendly policies, such as tax incentives for women who give birth, including mothers of four children.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi requests three more minutes.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid emphasized that Estonia should value children through concrete incentives—lowering income tax for the first up to the fourth child, gradual home loan forgiveness, and car purchase support for large families—and stressed that without children, the state has no future. He also accused the opposing party of lacking priorities while providing aid to Ukraine.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanks [the previous speaker] and invites Martin Helme to speak.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme asserted that the birth rate is fundamentally a matter of security and confidence, arguing that the Reform Party and Kaja Kallas fail to recognize their responsibility for the decline in both the sense of security and the birth rate over the past three years. He further added that marriage equality, which he described as the perversion of marriage, impacts parents and children, driven by the fear that extreme activists may be present in schools.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi concluded the negotiations and announced that the deliberation of the fifth agenda item was finished.