First Reading of the Draft Act Amending the Law Enforcement Act (163 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session
Date: 2024-03-06 19:19
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 66
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 10m
AI Summaries: 66/66 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu debate focused on the first reading of the draft bill (163 SE) amending the Law Enforcement Act, which was initiated by EKRE faction members Helle-Moonika Helme and Henn Põlluaas. The purpose of the bill was to prohibit the wearing of the burqa and niqab in public spaces, citing women's discrimination, the symbol of subjugation, and a security threat as justifications. Initiator Henn Põlluaas emphasized that this is a manifestation of radical Islamism that does not belong in Estonia's value system, and that its prohibition is in accordance with the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. He also referred to the rapid growth of the Muslim community in Estonia, which makes a preventive law necessary.
However, the Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, Eduard Odinets (SDE), presented the negative position of the leading committee and the Government of the Republic. The committee found that there is currently no widespread problem in Estonia that would necessitate such amendments. Furthermore, it was emphasized that the bill would punish, with a fine or detention, precisely those women who are forced to wear these garments, which contradicts the goal of protecting women's rights and combating domestic violence. The debate was heated, with the opposition accusing the coalition of hypocrisy on gender equality issues and of ignoring the cultural conflict. In the final vote, the bill was rejected at the first reading.
Decisions Made 1
The Riigikogu rejected Bill 163 on the first reading (40 in favor, 10 against), following the proposal of the lead committee.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was the initiator of the bill, Henn Põlluaas, who delivered a presentation and answered numerous questions (totaling 12 interventions). Põlluaas represented the conservative opposition (EKRE) and was a staunch advocate for the bill, emphasizing the necessity of banning the burqa and niqab in the name of protecting women's rights and ensuring security.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Riigikogu now moves on to the 11th item on the agenda, which is the first reading of Draft Act 163 on the Amendment of the Law Enforcement Act, initiated by Riigikogu members Helle-Moonika Helme and Henn Põlluaas, and Henn Põlluaas is invited to serve as the rapporteur.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas asserts that the burqa and niqab should be banned in public spaces in Estonia, arguing that they are symbols of the humiliation of women and are not mandatory under the Islamic faith. Furthermore, he proposes that the enforcement of this ban would involve a fine or detention, with the aim of protecting equal rights and public order.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas thanks the audience, invites questions, and asks Evelin Poolamets to take the floor.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The speaker claimed that the burqa is not an Islamic obligation, but a minor sartorial distinction associated with violent extremists, and asked whether the St. George ribbon is the same as the burqa.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas claims that the burqa is versatile and can be used in multiple ways, noting that it has also been utilized by Islamic terrorists to hide a suicide belt, which prevents the identification of the person. He adds that Afghanistan serves as an example where, following the Taliban's seizure of power, the burqa was forcibly reintroduced – thus, it is a tool of oppression and discrimination against women.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas calls upon Mart Helme.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme, in his speech, accuses liberal parties of prioritizing the fight for same-sex marriage rights while showing negligence regarding the issues of women's degradation and the banning of burqas. He references the rejection of the commission's draft bill, asking what this demonstrates about liberalism—is it stupidity, ignorance, lack of empathy, or sheer hypocrisy?
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Speaking about the situation of women, Henn Põlluaas said that hundreds of millions of women—perhaps billions—remain overlooked, and that the principles of human rights and gender equality do not apply universally. He argued that this exposes double standards and hypocrisy, and calls on all parties, including liberals, to demonstrate genuine concern, not merely posturing.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Chairman invited Kert Kingo to the stage.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo criticizes liberalism in the defense of Western values and asks how the wearing of the niqab or burqa fits with the principles of gender equality and equal treatment, and what this says when these principles are accepted, while on the other side, people speak differently.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas stated that support for banning the burqa and niqab demonstrates the discrimination and humiliation of Muslim women. He emphasized that Muslim women deserve a normal life and that we must stand together to defend women's rights.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invited Rene Kokk to speak.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk noted that the imposition of clothing restricting women’s rights could be a security issue in the cultural sphere, and he asked why the coalition rejected a reasonable bill and what arguments and objectives lay behind that decision.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas claims that banning the wearing of the burqa and niqab is not a matter of religious freedom, but a necessary security step, since the justifications are hypocritical and the threat of radicalization and terrorism is growing in Estonia.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Anti Haugas raised a procedural question.
Anti Haugas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
According to the minutes, Henn Põlluaas was fully present at the committee, spoke extensively, and participated in the deliberation of the agenda item, and stated that he was ill that day, but present nonetheless.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas moves the proceedings on to questions and invites Helle-Moonika Helme to take the floor.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He thanks the esteemed Presiding Officer for diligently adhering to the rules of procedure and internal regulations.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The speech is short and expresses hesitant confirmation.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme accuses liberals and social democrats of hypocrisy, arguing that they criticize the treatment of women's rights and the attitudes prevalent in Islamic culture, yet simultaneously defend immigration and discriminatory values in Estonia.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
He says it's the questioner's time now.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme points out that there is something very hypocritical about our cultural space.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas emphasizes that we must stand against oppression and discrimination, and that women, including Muslim women, must not be harassed. He also criticizes the coalition for postponing the draft bill and for the lack of substantive reasons.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invites Evelin Poolamets to speak.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets claims that wearing a burqa constitutes discrimination, both morally and physically. She gives the example of a café on a Tallink ship and asks whether Estonia should follow the example of the Nordic countries, given that Denmark and Norway have adopted such laws.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
This address is brief and is directed at the questioner, announcing that their time has come.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas describes the poverty he witnessed in a café: the man and children were eating heartily, while the woman tried to tuck away morsels under a cover, emphasizing that this cannot be allowed to continue.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Vice-Speaker Jüri Ratas thanks the rapporteur, announces that there are no questions, and concludes the discussion.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas said that he hasn't answered yet.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Jüri Ratas noted that they had not stood still, and asked them to respond politely.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He says that he has already stated a large part of his position, and if the bill is voted down, the true nature of our liberal parties will be exposed.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked the audience and invited Eduard Odinets, Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, to the Riigikogu rostrum to deliver his report.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets stated that the Legal Affairs Committee thoroughly discussed the draft bill, taking into account the government's negative stance, and proposed by consensus that the bill be rejected at the first reading.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas offered his thanks and announced that this was a procedural question raised by Henn Põlluaas.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas thanked the Esteemed Presiding Officer and said that he was very much at a loss.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas expressed surprise and asked what had happened.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas notes that the committee chairman is asserting the government's position, and that the government does not support the bill in question. However, Minister Signe Riisalo has stated that the banning of burqas has not been discussed, and she personally favors it at the level of schools and kindergartens, which raises questions about the unity of the state and is scandalous.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
He thanked them and emphasized that Estonia has only one government at a time, before inviting Mart Helme to speak.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He/She asks whether the commission has established criteria for determining when a societal problem becomes visible, citing a specific incident of violence involving a Syrian national and the growth of the Muslim community, and further asks if the time has come to ban the burqa and niqab and regulate this area.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets said that the committee did not discuss crimes committed against women, but rather the prohibition of wearing the burqa and niqab in public spaces. The Estonian legal framework does not require such a prohibition, and the government decided not to support the draft Law Enforcement Act initiated by Henn Põlluaas and Helle-Moonika Helme on May 12, 2023 — these are two different things.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas asks Kert Kingo to take the floor.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo accuses the government of tolerating psychological violence through the compulsory clothing of Muslim women and discriminating against them unfairly.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
In his personal statement, Eduard Odinets stresses that while we must take a firm stand against violence against women, if a woman is forced to wear a niqab or burqa and appears in public, she should not be punished. Instead, she should be educated, helped, offered shelter, and the focus should be on protecting her rights.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Vice-Speaker Jüri Ratas invited Rene Kokk to the stage.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk emphasizes that although the ministry's current position was that there was no problem, future issues concerning gun permits for residents of Belarusian and Russian origin and stateless persons, as well as issues regarding burqas and niqabs, must be cautiously considered to avoid later difficulties. He then asks whether a substantive discussion took place or if the opposition's draft bill was simply rejected.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets stresses that while discussions regarding face coverings have continued, it is not a widespread issue in 2024, and statistics indicate that these women do not pose the greatest security threat to the Republic of Estonia.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar thanks everyone and invites Arvo Aller to speak.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller asks whether banning face coverings in public spaces is justified or discriminatory and how this fits into the context of Estonian cultural integration, referring to the Song and Dance Festival and asking whether face coverings would be acceptable in Estonian society.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets stresses that his personal feeling doesn't matter and the commission did not discuss the issue. He adds that, in the context of amending the Law Enforcement Act, it must be assessed whether wearing a face covering at the Song Festival could disturb or pose a threat to others.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar calls upon Helle-Moonika Helme.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme argues that the rhetoric against violence against women does not align with reality. She calls for attention to be paid to reducing the influence of immigration and Islamic culture, and asks whether the issue was discussed in the committee, stressing that Islamic culture must not be allowed to enter our cultural sphere.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets stated that the draft bill only deals with punishing specific acts committed by women, rather than addressing the root problems. He confirmed that law enforcement agencies treat and punish men who commit violence equally, and that in Estonia, every woman is guaranteed assistance and information about her rights regardless of culture or religion. This is provided through integration and information programs, which also include women of Islamic faith. Finally, he called for sharing ideas to discuss migration or integration topics.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman calls upon Henn Põlluaas to speak.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas claims that the reasons for the discrimination against Muslim women are being fabricated out of thin air, and the expansion of penalties is being promoted while hidden behind a veil of hypocrisy. He then uses the example of Sweden to demonstrate where the actual discrimination is really occurring.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets stated that the Estonian public condemns violence and discrimination against women, and that the proposed bill, which prohibits women from wearing clothing specific to a culture or religion, would not help. Furthermore, the penalty prescribed for violating public conduct – up to 100 fine units or detention – would be a direct consequence of this bill for women who have already been forced to wear a face covering.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked [the previous speaker/the floor] and asked Henn Põlluaas to present his second question.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Henn Põlluaas claims that the streetscape has radically changed compared to 2016, that more women in burqas are being seen, and that the harassment of women from Muslim-majority regions has increased. He emphasizes that Estonia should follow the example of EU countries and prevent a major problem.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets stated that he currently does not see a problem in Estonia that the measures proposed by the bill's initiators would solve. He added that there is no indication that single women would pose a threat to Estonian security, and the issue will only be addressed once it becomes genuine—it has consistently failed to become a problem in Estonia over the past eight years.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanks the rapporteur, opens the debate, and on behalf of the EKRE faction, requests three minutes of additional time for Anti Poolamets at the Riigikogu rostrum.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets asserts that there is a culture conflict in Estonia and that multiculturalism and Islam threaten the nation-state and the dignity of women, which is why he calls for restricting immigration and protecting their cultural space and the constitutional nation-state.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
He/She thanks [the previous speaker] and, on behalf of the Reform Party faction, calls Anti Haugas to the Riigikogu rostrum to speak.
Anti Haugas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Haugas affirmed that respecting women and condemning violence against women is paramount, and he supported the bill and the government’s position, but found that there is currently not a large enough Muslim community in Estonia to cause public fear. He argued that the problem of domestic violence must be solved at the grassroots level, and he does not consider a ban on the burqa or niqab practical, because it could lead to increased isolation and concealment of the woman. Therefore, the focus should be on the well-being of the child and the woman, as well as conversation and offering help, and allowing more time.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requested that three minutes be added to the time.
Anti Haugas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Anti Haugas stated that children and women in Estonia must not be forced to wear the burqa or niqab, and he does not advocate for its criminalization. Rather, he stresses violence prevention at the grassroots level and the importance of women's own free will, which appears to be accelerating the trend of abandoning the burqa.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman declared the debate closed and called upon the Riigikogu to vote on the lead committee's proposal to reject Draft Bill 163 at the first reading.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Forty members of the Riigikogu voted in favor of the proposal, ten were against, and there were no abstentions; Bill 163 was rejected during the first reading and consequently fell out of the legislative procedure.