Agenda Profile: Martin Helme
Chair implementation
2025-09-04
15th Riigikogu, extraordinary session of the Riigikogu
Political Position
The political stance is strongly oppositional, focusing on the illegality and incompetence of the actions taken by the government and the Riigikogu leadership. The most prominent issues are opposition to tax hikes (especially the car tax), the lack of reliability of e-voting, and holding ministers accountable (expressing a vote of no confidence in four ministers). The position is heavily procedural, accusing those in power of violating democratic rules and destroying parliamentarism.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates profound expertise regarding the Riigikogu's Rules of Procedure and procedural regulations, repeatedly citing specific sections of the law and the board's previous practices. Specific insights were also presented concerning the shortcomings in the security and verifiability of e-voting, highlighting research data on voter distrust. Detailed questions were also raised regarding the budgetary impact of Ukraine's accession to the EU and the management errors of the state-owned airline Nordica.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The speaker’s style is predominantly combative, sharp, and often sarcastic, employing strong emotional phrases such as "disaster zone," "embarrassing," and "classic thugs." Emphasis is placed on logical and legal arguments (citing rules of procedure and the constitution), but these are interspersed with personal attacks and accusations of "totalitarian capriciousness." The speaker frequently uses rhetorical questions to challenge the legitimacy of the board's decisions.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The Speaker is highly active in challenging the agenda and procedure of Riigikogu sessions, repeatedly raising procedural questions and submitting proposals to amend the agenda. He/She is a regular initiator of major opposition measures, such as motions of no confidence and draft resolutions for the formation of investigative committees. He/She frequently takes the floor on Mondays during the confirmation of the agenda and concerning Thursday sessions, specifically to highlight violations of procedural norms.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main adversaries are the Riigikogu Board (especially Chairman Lauri Hussar) and the ruling coalition, who are accused of violating the rules of procedure and obstructing the work of the opposition. The criticism is predominantly procedural and political, accusing the Board of selectively applying the rules and penalizing the opposition. The intensity of the attacks is high, claiming that the government has destroyed normal parliamentary democracy and operates on the basis of "arbitrary rule."
46 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
The speaker primarily acts on behalf of the EKRE parliamentary group, but demonstrates a readiness for broad opposition cooperation when submitting motions of no confidence. The motion of no confidence against the Minister of Climate was submitted in collaboration with the Centre Party and non-affiliated members of parliament. Cooperation with the coalition parties is ruled out, except in cases where they support tax cuts initiated by EKRE, in which instance they promise to find an ally among them.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is primarily on national and international issues, such as government activities, tax policy, and the enlargement of the European Union (Ukraine). The regional focus is minimal, mentioning only the national network of cameras across Estonia and the necessity of regulating local government voting rights.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
The speaker is a strong advocate for tax cuts, initiating a bill to abolish the car tax and demanding that income tax and VAT be lowered back to their previous levels. He sharply criticizes the government's tax hikes (fuel, electricity, gas, gambling) and demands transparency in state finances, particularly regarding the expense compensations received by high-ranking officials. Furthermore, an investigative committee is being demanded to ascertain the economic damages and management errors at Nordica.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
In the social sphere, the Minister of Education's actions are sharply criticized (the teachers' strike, failures with e-exams, and the transition to Estonian-language instruction). Culturally, there is an emphasis on Estonia's Christian background, with a proposal made to amend the law on holidays and special days by adding the second day of Easter and compensating for national holidays that fall on a weekend. Strong opposition is directed towards state surveillance (specifically the PPA camera network), which is viewed as a violation of privacy.
46 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The representative is an active initiator of legislation, focusing on the abolition of taxes (such as the car tax), the formation of investigative committees (Nordica), organizing referendums (e-voting), and amending the law on public holidays. A significant portion of their activity is aimed at obstructing the processing of existing bills or challenging them procedurally, especially when they have been handled with insufficient documentation or in violation of the rights of the members of parliament.
46 Speeches Analyzed