Interpellation regarding the necessity and construction of Rail Baltic (No. 262)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session.
Date: 2024-01-15 20:59
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 58
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 50m
AI Summaries: 58/58 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu debated the necessity and construction of Rail Baltic, regarding which EKRE members Henn Põlluaas, Kalle Grünthal, and Mart Helme submitted an interpellation. The interpellation covered seven questions concerning Rail Baltic's economic justification, environmental impact, financing, and project progress. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas answered all the questions, emphasizing the project's strategic importance for Estonia.
During the debate, sharp questions were raised regarding the project's growing costs, actual necessity, and economic outcomes. The opposition criticized the project as economically unreasonable and an overly expensive undertaking, stressing that the money could be directed toward other priorities, such as the construction of Via Baltica or teachers' salaries. The Prime Minister defended the project as a crucial investment in Estonia's future, which will improve transport connections with Europe and support economic development.
Decisions Made 1
The inquiry was answered, but no specific decisions were made. It was an informational discussion regarding the Rail Baltic project.
Most Active Speaker
Mart Helme (EKRE) was the most active speaker; he delivered the initial presentation and spoke several times. He sharply criticized the Rail Baltic project, calling it economically unjustifiable and excessively expensive, arguing that the project has never been financially viable. Instead, he recommended focusing on solving real problems, such as improving existing railway connections. Helme clearly articulated a right-wing populist stance, criticizing the government’s priorities and spending.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The Riigikogu is debating Interpellation No. 262, submitted on May 13, 2023, regarding the necessity and construction of Rail Baltic. The interpellation was submitted by Henn Põlluaas, Kalle Grünthal, and Mart Helme, with Mart Helme acting as the rapporteur.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme stated that Kaja Kallas is currently facing a truly rainbow-colored questioning session concerning the country's defense capability and the Rail Baltic issue, adding that he would not read all seven questions aloud, while simultaneously making a detour to Moonika's diction exercises.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi laughs and says that he doesn't need to make that remark, and thanks Mart.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme said that the construction of Rail Baltic is an extremely expensive and pointless project that will bring neither passengers nor freight traffic to Estonia. He added that the country is at war and money is being channeled into areas where there is no clear benefit—perhaps only for the purpose of enriching people connected to the Reform Party.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi stated that Rail Baltic is the presiding officer’s favorite project, pondered stepping down, promised to remain impartial, and announced that Jüri Ratas would chair the session in fifteen minutes, finally addressing the honorable Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stressed that the construction of Rail Baltic is vital for Estonia, as it will establish fast and environmentally friendly transport links, boost economic growth, employment, and exports, balance regional development, and strengthen security. Furthermore, progress is being guided by financing, the involvement of local communities, and environmental considerations, with the goal of completion by 2030 (the Tallinn–Pärnu section by 2028).
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks the esteemed Prime Minister and announces the commencement of questions, inviting Martin Helme to take the floor.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme asserts that the Rail Baltic cost-benefit analysis was fraudulent from the very beginning, and that it has never been economically viable. He argues that the discount rate was significantly altered to make the project appear more profitable, and now the cost has doubled, or even increased by 2.5 times. Furthermore, the project doesn't connect us to Riga, Berlin, or anything else, which raises the question of what the purpose of this project is today.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
He argues that Rail Baltic isn't connecting anything right now because the project isn't finished, but once it is completed, it will link up at least the three Baltic states, and then continue on to Poland and Central Europe.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Mart Helme is invited to speak.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme emphasizes that the cheapest mode of transport is water transport, and Via Baltica is a real, European-bound connection that the government should prioritize instead of Rail Baltic.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
We are continuously moving forward with the construction of Via Baltica, section by section, and although I do not have the specific materials regarding Rail Baltica with me, we will continue construction this year as well.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi asked for Arvo Aller to be invited onto the stage.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller claims that Rail Baltic is becoming progressively more expensive, that it will divide Estonia into two regions, and that it may harm jobs in road transport and related companies, and he asks whether the project's impact has been thoroughly considered.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas says that you can read these analyses to get a more detailed answer.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi invites Ants Frosch to the stage.
Ants Frosch
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ants Frosch points out that Rail Baltica received priority in Brussels but was subsequently neglected, while many people die every year on the Tallinn–Pärnu highway, where traffic volume is catastrophic, and Estonia would have chosen Via Baltica at that time.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This is a very short speech that simply says: "Time, Ants!"
Ants Frosch
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Ants Frosch asks whether the government has considered addressing the public on this issue.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Estonia has raised the Rail Baltic issue in Europe to ensure the project finally comes to fruition, and we are also investing in Via Baltica, but an additional referendum is not planned.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi calls upon Kert Kingo.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo criticizes the government's green transition as a contradiction: cars are being taxed, but at the same time Rail Baltica is being built, which destroys bogs, meadows, and forests, and she asks how this fits with climate goals.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Rail transport is the most environmentally friendly mode of transport and aligns very nicely with green objectives.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi invited Rain Epler to speak.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler uses the metaphor of Andrus Ansip's lemonade vending machine to highlight the failure to deliver on promises and the movement in the opposite direction concerning demographic issues, and asks whether this railway will ever be completed in the near future.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirms that work toward this goal is underway, and the project will be completed by 2030. Furthermore, serious construction on the main route will also begin this year.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme criticizes the economic sustainability of Rail Baltic, citing an article by Mikk Salu published in Postimees, which suggests that costs are rising, revenues are falling, and eventually, terminating the construction at a loss must be considered. Simultaneously, she raises questions about the size of the project's salary fund allocated to high-earners and how many actual high-paying jobs the project generates.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi invites Helle-Moonika Helme to speak.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Kaja Kallas thanked the questioner and explained that in order to receive a detailed answer, a written question needed to be submitted, adding that she did not have those specific figures with her at the moment.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak voiced his concern regarding the continuous escalation of Rail Baltic's costs. He called for consideration of a cost-saving project and potentially halting the development, noting that the rising price tag makes the development of Estonia's Via Baltica and general road infrastructure increasingly challenging.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas asked Siim Pohlak to come to the stage.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Latvia and Lithuania are having difficulties with the Rail Baltica project, but the latest procurements have come in cheaper than we planned, and one pair of rails is narrower and takes up fewer resources.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invited Kalle Grünthal to the stage.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal welcomed the new Chairman of the Session, Jüri Ratas, and posed a question to the respected Kaja Kallas regarding the actual owner of Rail Baltic, noting that the participating companies, which deal only with maintenance, are not the owners, and that lying is forbidden.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Kaja Kallas said that the real owners of Rail Baltic are Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas calls upon Varro Vooglaid.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vooglaid asks the Prime Minister whether the European Union funding for completing Rail Baltic is absolutely certain and guaranteed, or if there is a significant risk that the money will not materialize (for example, to support Ukraine or for other necessary works). Furthermore, if that funding is indeed absent, will the cost fall upon Estonian taxpayers, and will it even be possible to finish the project under those circumstances?
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the existing funding comes from the EU budget, and for the next period, sufficient progress must be demonstrated to continue the construction of the main route and junctions. This continuation depends on the actions taken by the Lithuanian and Latvian partners, as well as many factors related to the Connecting Europe Facility.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invites Kalle Grünthal to present a procedural question.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal referred to the specific nature of the freedom of speech enjoyed by a Member of the Riigikogu, noting that this does not apply to members of the government. He then posed a question to Kaja Kallas, asking whether she had lied about the owner of Rail Baltic, and requested a written answer, including a reference to the business registry, in order to verify the accuracy of the claim.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas stated that, according to the law, the Speaker cannot provide a direct answer to a written question because the response is given by a member of the government. He added that he hopes to receive the Prime Minister's answer either by email or in writing, noting that Martin Helme cannot act as the representative of the questioners.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme thanks [them] and immediately asks for eight minutes.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas requests eight minutes.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme argues that the Rail Baltic project is economically unviable, and its upkeep costs, even factoring in EU funding, will increase the burden on national taxpayers. He adds that you cannot spend money you do not have—and therefore, alternative solutions must be found for teachers' salaries.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
This is just a procedural question that Rain Epler asked.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler asked how the negotiation procedure works, and inquired whether he could ask Martin Helme a question after his presentation or not.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Ratas claims that the answer is “it cannot be done,” but he believes the project should extend to Rohuküla, rather than being limited solely to Haapsalu, and he calls Kalle Grünthal to the Riigikogu rostrum.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal claimed that Rail Baltica will be completed, but not in the form we’ve been told, and that the owners won't be Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, but rather an English or German railway company. He also stated that information is being concealed, which suggests major strategic objectives, and because of this, he questioned whether a project involving such a massive amount of money is truly necessary just for travel between Estonia and Berlin.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas requests three minutes of time.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal claims that the Rail Baltic project is built upon false data, and that the real objective is the extraction of mineral resources from Ida-Virumaa and the dominance of foreign investors, which poses a threat to both the Estonian economy and its natural environment.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Speaker thanks the audience and calls upon Mart Helme to deliver his address.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme said that we must first solve real bottlenecks, such as overcrowded trains and the inadequate development of the Haapsalu and Pärnu railways, instead of pursuing megaprojects that the public funds through taxes and which funnel money toward Europe and Mars.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked [the previous speaker] and then invited Anti Poolamets to the Riigikogu rostrum to take the floor.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets stated that while the train schedules for Tartu–Valga and Valga–Riga have finally been synchronized, the actual demand remains modest. Furthermore, the cost and financing of Rail Baltic in both Latvia and Estonia are uncertain because the war in Ukraine and the requirements set by the European Commission are draining funds.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas asked for three more minutes.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets argues that although Rail Baltica is facing significant cost overruns, the realistic solution is the Tallinn–Tartu–Valga–Riga section, where speeds would reach 160 km/h. He suggests that development should be focused through regional policy, avoiding the bogs of Harju, Rapla, and Pärnu counties. Furthermore, this alternative would require coordination with the EU and the resolution of technical issues emerging in Latvia and Poland for the entire project to be realized at all.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas announced that there were no further requests to speak, closed the debate, and confirmed that the interpellation had been answered.