Session Profile: Mart Võrklaev
15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting
2024-11-06
Political Position
This political stance is strongly tied to defending the work of the Finance Committee and ensuring procedural correctness. He/She forcefully opposes the rejection of the bill initiated by Isamaa to repeal the motor vehicle tax, emphasizing that there was no substantive discussion within the committee. He/She criticizes the quality of the opposition's bill initiation and their genuine desire to effect change, prioritizing procedural correctness. The motion to reject the bill received robust support in the committee (7 votes in favor).
25 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
A high level of expertise in taxation and financial matters, serving as the rapporteur for the lead committee on amendments concerning both the motor vehicle tax and the Value Added Tax Act. He/She demonstrates knowledge of the transposition of EU directives, the reduction of administrative burdens for small businesses, and technical implementation issues (e.g., the software development timeline). Colleagues refer to him/her as an expert, a designation he/she also uses for himself/herself.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is formal, procedure-centric, and at times defensive, focusing on the committee’s rules of procedure and protocols. He has repeatedly been forced to defend his actions and reject accusations of lying or evasion. He uses the repeated phrase regarding the lack of substantive debate in the committee to avoid answering detailed policy questions in the plenary hall.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The operational modalities are linked to the role of the rapporteur for the Steering Committee, a position requiring detailed accountability regarding the procedural timeline and decisions, with specific reference to dates (e.g., September 17, October 21). He/She noted an overseas assignment that necessitated a change in the scheduling of the draft bill's discussion. He/She stresses that he/she is always prepared to discuss these topics, both in public forums and privately, one-on-one.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The confrontation is primarily aimed at the Isamaa and EKRE factions, who are being criticized for the lack of substantive debate in the Finance Committee. He accuses Isamaa of holding practically no debate on their bill, which demonstrates a lack of genuine intent. He also points to the absence of the EKRE representative (Martin Helme) from the committee discussion, suggesting that he ducked out and hid.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
The style of cooperation is pragmatic and inter-agency, particularly with the Ministry of Finance during the preparation of amendments to the Value Added Tax Act, where the proposed amendments were finalized by consensus. There was no substantive cooperation with the opposition (Isamaa, EKRE) during the discussion of the motor vehicle tax bill, a fact which he/she repeatedly notes with regret.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
A regional focus is lacking, except for a reference to Aivar Kokk’s (Isamaa) position that the motor vehicle tax is not regionally sensible. He himself does not elaborate on this topic or take a stance on it.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic views focus on the technical administration and enforcement of tax legislation, supporting the adoption of EU directives aimed at reducing the administrative burden on small businesses. He/She defends the motor vehicle tax introduced by the previous government, stressing that solutions and answers to concerns already exist. Furthermore, he/she addresses changes to the principles of VAT taxation concerning new construction projects.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
There is not enough data.
25 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The legislative focus is on tax laws, actively processing the bill to repeal the motor vehicle tax (which they oppose) and amendments to the VAT Act (which they support). He emphasizes procedural correctness and points out that the proposal to reject the bill received strong support in the committee. He is also dealing with the transposition of European Union Council directives into the VAT Act.
25 Speeches Analyzed