First Reading of the Draft Act amending the Riigikogu Election Act, the Local Government Council Election Act, and the European Parliament Election Act (292 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-03-20 18:43
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 75
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 15m
AI Summaries: 75/75 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The seventh item on the agenda concerned the first reading of Draft Act 292, initiated by the faction of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia, which seeks to amend the Riigikogu Election Act and the Local Government Council and European Parliament Election Act. The draft legislation was presented by Riigikogu member Varro Vooglaid. The discussion centered on the reform of electoral processes and the prohibition of e-voting, along with associated risks regarding constitutional compliance, verifiability, and transparency. The presentations and debate encompassed both technical and intellectual considerations: the necessity of ensuring secrecy, verifiability, and equality, and the issues of maintaining public participation and trust. Furthermore, the roles of the Supreme Court and the possibility of a national referendum were addressed as a potential solution if Parliament proves unable to move forward in finding a resolution consistent with the fundamental values of Estonian democracy.
Decisions Made 1
The first reading of Bill 292 is rejected; the proceedings are terminated. Voting Result: 38 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour, 11 members of the Riigikogu voted against, and there were no abstentions.
Most Active Speaker
The most active contributor: ehjpLK1FIak. Position: right (right-wing). They employ EKRE-style aggressive rhetoric regarding the vulnerability of e-voting, coupled with the competence to seriously consider the defense of constitutional values and the principles of democracy.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The seventh item on the agenda is the first reading of Draft Bill 292, initiated by the EKRE faction, which amends the Riigikogu Election Act, the Local Government Council Election Act, and the European Parliament Election Act; the rapporteur is Riigikogu member Varro Vooglaid.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid proposed ending the use of e-voting in the Republic of Estonia, justifying the move by citing the lack of constitutional compliance, the absence of secrecy and verifiability, and the resulting damage to the legitimacy and trustworthiness of the elections.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked the rapporteur, noted that questions would follow, and invited Martin Helme to take the floor.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme asserts that e-elections are clearly in conflict with the constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy; the Supreme Court has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the laws, but they have been left in force, and Parliament does not amend them due to the large number of MPs, and the solution is the restoration of constitutional order and genuine democracy.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid expresses that Estonia’s democratic system ought to resolve fundamental questions through a national referendum, and the Supreme Court’s task should be to provide a clear assessment of whether the conduct of elections is lawful or not, while avoiding any finger-wagging.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Jüri Ratas invited Siim Pohlak to speak and asked him to take the floor.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak notes that Russia has emerged as a success story in the Western media due to its e-voting system, while the Estonian press remains silent about the problems associated with it. He then asks whether e-elections have significantly increased voter turnout or brought considerable benefit to any specific political party.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid claims that during the period of Estonian e-voting, the Reform Party has concluded every election with a victory, and this, according to him, is the party's success story. However, he emphasizes that before criticizing others, we should ensure trustworthy elections in Estonia and solve the problems right here in our own backyard.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The speech was merely a request to Rain Epler.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler highlights the division of trust concerning e-voting (40% do not trust vs 60% trust; 81% want resignation vs 19% want continuation) and asks whether there is hope for change before the last bit of confidence in e-voting is lost, or if the system is independent of public opinion.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid highlights that the Estonian e-voting system is a trap within a loop: ending it requires gaining power before e-voting itself ceases, and the lack of the right of popular initiative means there is no way to break out. He adds that if roughly 40% of the population distrusts the parliamentary election system, this is a very serious problem that would not be tolerated in other European countries.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The speech begins with Arvo Aller being invited to the stage.
Arvo Aller
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Arvo Aller stresses that internet voting is not used due to cybersecurity risks. He then discusses whether a malicious state could influence election results through cyberattacks in such a way that the Reform Party wins—as they have since 2005—a result that might be favorable to the neighboring country.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid emphasized that the greatest threat to the system comes from within, specifically through the integrity and trustworthiness of people in control positions, and that this is practically impossible to monitor in Estonia, meaning any concrete answer would be pure speculation.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas called upon Anti Poolamets.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets brought up the assessment of the international expert community, which holds that the greatest risks associated with e-voting are insider influence and the fact that control is virtually impossible. Furthermore, virus threats and the capabilities of foreign states were emphasized, and the question was raised as to how these evaluations should be interpreted.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid emphasizes that if there are justified doubts about the electoral system, and these cannot be eliminated or the reliability of the current system proven, it must be abandoned and a more reliable alternative adopted. He also notes that the principle of democracy is not taken seriously in Estonia, since referendums, popular initiatives, and the presidential election are not genuinely accessible to the people.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas calls upon Mart Helme to speak.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme claims that due to e-voting, Estonia has become a mafia state where the Supreme Court, the Chancellor of Justice, and the entire judicial system are ensuring that e-elections cannot be changed, but must instead continue in their current form. He adds that the oversight of e-elections is delegated, and monitoring them is almost impossible because observers are not provided with cyber keys.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas welcomes the questioner.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme emphasizes that the topic can actually be considered, and asks what your assessment is.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes that it is your time.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He asks whether Estonia is like a mafia state or not.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas asks for a response.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The only response in the speech is the affirmative answer, "Yes."
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Ratas said that 60 seconds were allocated for questions, but one question took 72 seconds, and asked the respondent to answer while Mart Helme continued his address.
Evelin Poolamets
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The rapporteur described the meeting held with the EKRE faction and Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise, noting that little time was left for questions concerning e-elections, and Madise remarked that she likes e-elections.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid emphasizes that the constitution must be taken seriously and not bent to suit current moods, but followed honestly. He stresses that this same principle must also be applied to the organization of elections and the overall functioning of the state.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
During the address, Henn Põlluaas was called upon to take the floor.
Henn Põlluaas
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Henn Põlluaas criticizes the lack of trust surrounding e-elections and the foreign media's claims regarding the Russian elections. He draws parallels, highlighting 85,000 new voters whose ballots would have gone to the Reform Party, and concludes by asking what this kind of disregard for the coalition communicates to the electorate.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid points out that the ideals of democracy are not respected in Estonia because opaque e-voting, nationwide lists, and the doubtful confidence in Riigikogu elections generate distrust among 40% of citizens. This situation could lead to electoral abstention and the fragmentation of the country. Therefore, democratic rights must be restored to the people, including the right to initiate referendums and reforming the electoral procedures for the Riigikogu.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Vice-Speaker Jüri Ratas requests the floor be given to Rene Kokk.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk expresses concern that even though e-elections and the possibility of using facial recognition have been discussed, the institutions tasked with ensuring the uniformity and fairness of elections are ignoring court decisions and all warning signs, and failing to make the necessary proposals.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid stresses that e-voting lacks effective identity verification, and there is no check to ensure the voter is the same person associated with the ID card. This makes identity fraud and the compromising of electoral integrity highly likely, indicating that the responsible institutions are failing in their duty.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas calls upon Evelin Poolamets.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets highlighted that 40% of people do not trust e-elections, and only 8% believe that everything is fine with e-voting, and she asked how bad the situation can get before anything changes.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid warns that, in the name of the green transition, small steps are being taken incrementally, which could lead to the impoverishment of the people and create a political formation that promises to implement a predetermined program; and if the election results do not reflect genuine support, a major resistance could eventually emerge.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asked Anti Poolamets to take the floor.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets believes that legitimacy has already eroded, citing an example from Rakvere where 40 euros was paid per vote and hundreds of votes were purchased. He notes that while evidence is not always obtainable, law enforcement agencies are lazy, and hundreds of crimes have been committed, which could further exacerbate trust issues in the future.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid called on all citizens to report vote buying to law enforcement agencies and proposed paying a large financial reward—ranging from millions up to several million euros—to those who expose the falsification of e-voting with evidence, in order to motivate whistleblowers and break this vicious cycle where the current power structure must end before democracy can be guaranteed.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanks the rapporteur, notes that there are no further questions, and asks the Chairman of the Constitutional Committee, Hendrik Johannes Terras, to introduce the discussion held in the Constitutional Committee from the Riigikogu rostrum.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
The Commission discussed the connection between participation in e-voting and public trust, the influence of studies, and the suitability of modern voting methods. It concluded that eliminating e-voting would provoke widespread dissatisfaction, and therefore decided to reject the draft bill.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanked the presenter and asked him to answer several questions, while calling upon René Kokk to speak.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk stated that the commission had discussed whether abolishing e-voting or cutting child benefits might provoke a backlash among large families and parents, and he then asked whether that specific argument concerning public anger should have been taken into account.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
He thanked them for the question and said that it did not fit the current topic, and the commission had not discussed it.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman invites Siim Pohlak to the stage.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak asks the server why Russia’s e-elections are bad and opaque, but in Estonia they are good and transparent, and requests a brief explanation for this.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
Hendrik Johannes Terras stated that the topic of the Russian elections was not discussed in the committee, and he will provide an overview of the committee's discussion, during which that topic did not come up.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar addresses Arvo Aller and asks him.
Arvo Aller
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Arvo Aller said that during internet voting, the machine only verifies the validity of the ID card or Mobile ID certificate and does not show who is on the other side of the phone screen or computer, and asked whether the commission discussed identity verification, such as facial recognition, to identify the voter.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
He pointed out that the commission had not discussed it, but personally, he thought it was not a bad idea. Furthermore, if it is economically feasible and similar software solutions are already being developed in Estonia, it could be implemented at some point.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman asks Varro Vooglaid to step forward before the audience.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid asks the committee what arguments, besides convenience, could justify the use of e-voting, given that evidence shows it neither reduces costs nor increases voter turnout, and instead heightens concerns about the trustworthiness of elections.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
Hendrik Johannes Terras stated that the current draft bill is not connected to what you are discussing, and that its deliberation was more extensive, and they will also come to present this bill in the main chamber.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Siim Pohlak asks a question about the procedure for conducting the session.
Siim Pohlak
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Siim Pohlak asks whether the commission was only seeking arguments to terminate e-voting, and how the rapporteur’s presentation is compiled—does it reflect the positions of all sides, or were critical opinions marginalized?
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar said that the committee rapporteur must provide an overview of the course and nuances of the discussion, should the Riigikogu members be interested. He added that he has been briefed on the current debate of the Constitutional Committee, and Rain Epler is next.
Rain Epler
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Rain Epler notes that a colleague who usually doesn't voice an opinion surprisingly expressed a strong stance today in favor of abolishing e-voting, and invites discussion on why exactly this choice generated a strong argument and what determines it.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
He provided an overview of the discussion held in the commission, explaining that the resulting indignation was not his personal viewpoint, but the opinion of one member of the commission.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Varro Vooglaid to the stage.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid claims that the argument of indignation holds absolutely zero meaning within the constitutional system, and that in such questions, one should proceed from other considerations, a point illustrated by the example of the speed limit.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
Terras notes that both arguments have been brought forward: one side emphasizes the potential for generating resentment, while the other side indicates that people who trust e-voting would still turn out to vote even if e-voting were abolished, and would trust paper ballots, and his goal is to highlight these arguments.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman offers his thanks and addresses Henn Põlluaas with a request.
Henn Põlluaas
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Henn Põlluaas asks if the commission released any metrics or comparisons indicating the level of public discontent regarding the abolition of e-voting. He also asks if this level of discontent can be compared, for instance, to the public outcry against the introduction of the car tax, and to the fact that roughly 40% of the population does not support ending e-voting.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
There was no apprehension, the topic was discussed, but the car tax was not debated in the committee.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanks the rapporteur, announces that there are no further questions, and states that before opening the debate, the procedure for conducting the sitting and the procedural rules must be discussed, calling upon Rain Epler.
Rain Epler
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Rain Epler said that he reflected on the tone of his question and noted that the presenter has been actively evaluating both the content and the tone of questions throughout the year. He then asked whether the tone was inappropriate and what should be done differently in the future.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar noted that the discussion has been friendly and respectful, and we will continue in the same spirit, inviting Mart Helme to the podium.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme claims that e-voting is in conflict with existing laws and lacks constitutional compliance, arguing that it is impossible to audit the process from start to finish. This is because the requirement for secrecy and the uncontrolled access to the keys make tracking the vote impossible, whereas traceability is much clearer in the case of paper ballots.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requests an extension of three minutes.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme asserted that Estonia’s e-voting protocols are approximately 20 years old and need to be updated to comply with the newest technical requirements. This is because the Supreme Court has ruled that e-elections were illegally delegated to officials, and if the matter isn't fixed, e-voting must be halted. He simultaneously drew a comparison with Russia, claiming that Putin is not a legitimate president, and noted that suspicions of falsification have also emerged concerning e-votes.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
This is a brief welcome and an invitation for Mr. Helme to take the floor.
Mart Helme
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Mart Helme said that his time will never end, but the time of this coalition will.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar declares the debates closed, informs the chamber of the leading committee's proposal to reject Bill 292 at the first reading, and calls upon the Riigikogu to take a position and vote.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar announced that draft bill 292 received 38 votes in favor and 11 against, and was consequently dropped from the proceedings. Furthermore, the introduction of draft bill 330, which is the next item on the agenda, is not possible because the rapporteur, Ants Frosch, is not visible in the chamber, making debate impossible.