Session Profile: Andre Hanimägi
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
2025-06-04
Political Position
Politically, the speaker strongly advocates for increasing the autonomy of local governments in regulating light traffic, emphasizing safety and the need for flexible, localized solutions. He criticizes the government's negative feedback, which he deems too rigid and dismissive of the specific issues facing Tallinn. His stance is heavily policy- and results-driven, centered on solving practical problems.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates deep expertise in traffic law, the regulation of rental vehicles, and local government law enforcement (Mupo). They rely on accident statistics and possess detailed knowledge of the regulations established by the City of Tallinn and their limitations. This expertise is focused on resolving legal and practical oversight challenges.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is analytical, persuasive, and persistent, emphasizing the logic and simplicity of the draft bill ("If something is done poorly, do it again"). The speaker employs logical arguments to justify the necessity of the legal amendment and is critical of the inaction displayed by the government and the coalition, even utilizing sarcasm regarding the political ping-pong games. The overall tone is businesslike, yet it conveys an urgent need for change.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker is highly active during the plenary session, repeatedly presenting and defending their bill while thoroughly answering questions from colleagues. They reference previous work as a District Head and within the Tallinn City Government, demonstrating continuous engagement with local-level issues. This pattern of activity shows a clear focus on pushing through a specific legislative initiative.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main confrontation is with the government and the Reform Party, who are being criticized for failing to support the bill and for the political discord between the Tallinn and national levels. The criticism focuses on policy and procedure, accusing opponents of inaction and unreasonable rigidity in refusing to grant the necessary powers to Mupo (the Municipal Police). The speaker faults the government for failing to offer alternative solutions or address the problem.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
The speaker emphasizes the necessity of cross-party cooperation, pointing to the Tallinn City Government’s unanimous support for the draft bill, irrespective of political affiliation. They mention the Social Democrats’ backing of a similar draft proposed by the Centre Party and call on other local municipalities (such as Tartu) to unite in order to exert pressure on the government. They view the proposed legislation not as a political issue, but simply as a sensible solution.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The regional focus is clearly on Tallinn, which is being treated as the epicenter of the problems caused by rental mobility devices, and where the Social Democrats have taken the lead in establishing regulations. At the same time, the speaker uses examples from rural areas and Tartu to justify the need for municipal autonomy, aiming to avoid the impracticality of a unified national regulation.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic considerations support the regulation of rental services to ensure safety and proper order. The speaker emphasizes that unified rules are beneficial for business and help prevent situations where local governments might unconstitutionally infringe upon the freedom of enterprise through punitive measures. The goal is to establish a clear and sound legal framework for entrepreneurs.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
Among social issues, road safety is front and center, particularly the safety of pedestrians and young people (children) when using rental transport. The speaker highlights problems with traffic culture but proposes legislative restrictions on age and the number of vehicles as a solution to reduce the number of accidents. They note that 14-year-old children are too young to be driving on major thoroughfares.
13 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The legislative priority is amending the Traffic Act, adding the right for local governments to set a maximum number of rental mobility devices and a minimum age limit. Additionally, he/she strongly emphasizes the necessity of granting the Municipal Police (Mupo) additional law enforcement authority to monitor violations, thereby ensuring the law is effectively implemented. The speaker is the initiator and a strong supporter of the draft bill.
13 Speeches Analyzed