First reading of the Draft Decision of the Riigikogu (322 OE) "Making a Proposal to the Government of the Republic to Prepare a Comprehensive National Defence Development Vision Extending up to the Year 2045 and a New Extraordinary National Defence Development Plan Deriving from It, Extending up to the Year 2034"
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting.
Date: 2024-03-13 18:19
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 34
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 8m
AI Summaries: 34/34 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
This agenda item covers the debate on the first reading of the Riigikogu decision titled "Proposal to the Government of the Republic to draft a comprehensive national defense development vision extending until 2045 and a new extraordinary national defense development plan based on it until 2034," as presented by the representative of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia faction. The core idea of the draft resolution is to formulate a broad-based national defense vision encompassing five main processes (societal cohesion and state resilience, economic security and vital services, internal security and public order, military defense, and international activity) and, based on this, to compile a new ten-year development plan that addresses both current and future security perspectives. The means and guiding philosophy are also being discussed in order to proceed in alignment with NATO strategic requirements and allied capabilities, and to subsequently integrate allied response capabilities and the development of mechanized capabilities.
Decisions Made 2
The Board of the Riigikogu decided to place draft bill 322, which is currently under consideration, on the agenda of the Riigikogu's next sitting for its first reading and final vote.
The result of the final vote: 13 in favor, 0 against, there were no abstentions; Draft Bill 322 was not adopted and is removed from the procedure.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Leo Kunnas (EKRE faction), a member of the National Defence Committee, who represented the draft bill and utilized the majority of the speaking time. His political orientation is defined as right-wing (right-wing/ethnic). He presented a vision and strategic ideas concerning the architecture of national defense, the concept of the shield and the sword, and emphasized the importance of strategies and funding for both military and broad-based sectors.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
We now proceed to the fourth item on the agenda: the first reading of Riigikogu Draft Resolution 322, submitted by the EKRE faction. The purpose of this draft is to compile a comprehensive national defense development vision extending up to the year 2045, and, stemming from that, a new extraordinary national defense development plan until the year 2034. Furthermore, the draft resolution requires an absolute majority vote of the Riigikogu membership. Riigikogu member Leo Kunnas is invited to deliver the report.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas submitted a draft resolution intended to establish a comprehensive national defense development vision extending until 2045. This vision would lead to a new extraordinary development plan until 2034, focusing on five key strategic areas: the implementation of the "shield and sword" concept (territorial defense districts and mechanized infantry divisions within the NATO structure), the integration of allied capabilities, and the long-term reform of personnel, management, and financing.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Vice-Chair thanks the speaker and invites the audience to ask questions. Evelin Poolamets, please!
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets thanks the speaker and asks to what extent today's decisions and the development plan have been influenced by her colleague Jürgen Ligi's earlier stance regarding the abolition of conscription and the transition to a professional defense force.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas stresses that he is not offering personal opinions, points to an article finalized in 2007 detailing 35 errors, and asserts that by utilizing a long-term vision and multiple field-specific strategies, the mechanism behind these errors can be understood and subsequently avoided.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Chairman calls upon Meelis Kiili to speak.
Meelis Kiili
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Meelis Kiili called for the drafting of a comprehensive national security strategy that would consolidate all pillars and establish a link between strategy and tactics, arguing that strategy without tactics is a long path to victory, while tactics without strategy is merely noise preceding defeat.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He noted that while every sector requires a separate strategy, all of them could be part of one large security strategy that would cover everything and leave nothing out.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
This is the invitation for René Kokk to the stage.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk emphasized the importance of a continuous and focused direction in national defense and asked how to assess the execution and follow-through of the development plans over the last 30 years, since every new leader often tries to create their own narrative.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas notes that the 2009–2018 development plan was fundamentally sound, establishing a wartime defense force of 42,000 personnel and implementing appropriate capability developments. However, the 2% defense spending goal was not met by 2012, and the errors should have been rectified during the crises in Crimea and Donbas. Furthermore, the current defense spending exceeding 3% and the lack of implemented reinforcement packages indicate that the development of comprehensive national defense has fallen behind. Simultaneously, the consolidation of personnel, procurement, and logistics under the Chancellor of the Ministry of Defense, coupled with weaknesses in wartime command, could lead to difficulties. These errors must be corrected quickly, even though it remains possible to finalize many capability developments by 2026.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Chair calls upon Mart Helme to speak.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme notes that the war in Ukraine highlights enormous challenges for our defense capabilities—air defense and ammunition stocks are running low, and resources must be increased to counter drones. He then asks whether we have actually fallen too far behind in ensuring our defense capability.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas notes that Russia’s long-term plan to reorganize the world continues, and based on the experience of the war in Ukraine, it is critical for Estonia to rapidly strengthen its capabilities. This must focus on the engineering corps and the production of engineering tools and materials, replacing stockpiles of explosives and mines, developing indirect fire capability and artillery, procuring ammunition, and strengthening drones and anti-drone defense, as well as including these three areas in a new reinforcement package, the funding for which must be secured, even though the economy is in poor shape and budget balance is not sensible under current circumstances. The details are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense and the Commander of the Defense Forces.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Speaker calls upon Martin Helme to speak.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme claims that although the government talks about a security tax, no significant decisions have been made over the last two years to develop defense capabilities, and the biggest steps were taken at the start of the war in Ukraine. He adds that most proposals remain unimplemented to this day, and the current people in power are unable to change course – how do you view this?
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas stressed that while several capability developments initiated by previous governments have been implemented, there is an urgent need for a new reinforcement package and increased defense spending. This is necessary so that the division can acquire its artillery capability and resources are available for assisting Ukraine, rather than postponing these decisions until the end of the decade.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid criticizes the claim made by Defense Forces Commander Martin Herem that Estonia would win the next war regardless, and questions how reasonable this assertion is, considering Russia's significant military capability and our lack of the 1.6 billion euros needed to purchase ammunition for two weeks of fighting.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Ratas invited Varro Vooglaid to speak.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas argues that the commander of the defense forces of a strong state should avoid making such statements, because they offer no practical benefit and don't deter anyone, and should instead focus on their actual job.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas calls on Anti Poolamets to speak.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets criticizes the Reform Party's decade-long attempts to abolish conscription, which have diminished national defense capabilities and resulted in the loss of a whole division's worth of young people. He also notes that the current plans could lead to a powerless national defense, and asks how long it would take to establish a joint tank battalion with the state of Latvia so that in a decade we would be competent users of tanks.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas emphasizes that we lack a comprehensive vision, which hinders our ability to react flexibly to global opportunities, whereas the Finns have maintained the overall picture and can invest accordingly, buying Leopard-2A6 tanks and HIMARS analogues cheaply from the Netherlands and Germany. In Estonia, however, the needs in engineering services, artillery, and drone defense are so pressing that the acquisition of new tanks for a battalion-sized unit could not be included in the government's action plan. Used tanks are unavailable, and those that are available are going to Ukraine, meaning the window of opportunity has closed, and this issue will have to be resolved differently in the future, and it will certainly cost the taxpayer more.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas thanked the speaker, mentioned that he had one more question, and then called Kalle Grünthal up to the stage.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal emphasizes that modern warfare is completely different from what it was during the Second World War. He highlights the crucial importance of drone manufacturing capability in the context of the battles in Ukraine and refers to the ban on the supply of Chinese drones. However, he mentions a workaround where different parts are sent in separate packages and assembled later, while simultaneously asking whether any progress is actually being made.
Leo Kunnas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Leo Kunnas said that the war is essentially the same as it was during the Second World War, but drones add a new dimension to it. Estonia possesses significant drone manufacturing capability, and these drones are sold to Ukraine, including combat-capable Mini Harop type drones. Furthermore, the tempo of the mass deployment of reconnaissance and civilian drones ought to be considerably higher.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Speaker thanked the rapporteur for his presentation and answers, announced that the questioning period was concluded, and invited Peeter Tali, a member of the National Defence Committee, to the Riigikogu podium to deliver his address.
Peeter Tali
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The National Defence Committee discussed the draft bill for the first time, and following a delay caused by obstructions and interpellations, it was unanimously decided to include the bill on the Riigikogu’s agenda for March 6th for the first reading and final vote, taking into account the new Commander of the Defence Forces, Andrus Merilo, taking office, the need to draft a broad-based security plan, and the assessments from the Ministry of Defence and the Legal and Analysis Department that amendments to the laws are not necessary.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Riigikogu Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked the rapporteur, announced that there were no questions, opened the debate, and invited Henn Põlluaas, the representative of the EKRE parliamentary group, to the podium. Põlluaas subsequently requested eight additional minutes.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Discussing the context of 1918 and the current threat, Henn Põlluaas stresses that Estonia must resist foreign aggression under all circumstances. He criticizes the 2021–2023 national defense development plan for being insufficient and lacking a needs-based approach, and calls for a realistic defense plan, coupled with a larger budget, a national defense loan, and allied deterrence, including the presence of a brigade.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
This is a brief, respectful address directed at the presenter, indicating that their time has arrived and they may begin.
Henn Põlluaas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He/She emphasizes that defense must be based on the principle of necessity and be commensurate with the threats facing us, and hopes that all political parties will support it.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas concluded the negotiations, announced that there were no amendments concerning Bill 322, and began preparations for the final vote. He then put Bill 322 to the final vote, asking the participants to take a position and cast their vote.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Speaker of the Riigikogu, Jüri Ratas, announced that Bill 322 did not receive the required number of affirmative votes and would lapse from the proceedings. He further stated that the fourth item on the agenda had been addressed, and the fifth through eighth items were concluded due to the impossibility of discussion, after which the session ended and colleagues were thanked.