Session Profile: Martin Helme
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting
2024-01-11
Political Position
There is strong opposition to the government's activities, particularly concerning the procedures used for processing legislation. The criticism centers on the government's hypocrisy: they reject opposition bills citing a lack of analysis, yet they themselves have introduced "monstrous laws" to the Riigikogu without any state budgetary or demographic analysis. This stance is both procedural and value-based, stressing the need to limit state intervention in personal choices.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
Demonstrates awareness of legislative procedures, emphasizing the importance of impact assessments (budgetary and demographic) during the processing of bills. It addresses state administrative issues concerning the availability of maternity care and the procedures for registering personal identification codes and children. It requires specific statistics (how many cases have occurred) regarding fraudulent registration or kidnapped children, in order to prove the necessity of state control.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The tone is predominantly combative, ironic, and critical, utilizing emotional expressions such as "exquisite humor" and "embarrassing." It employs strong polarization, referring to the Reform Party faction as a "bunch of madmen and lunatics." It uses rhetorical questions and references to previous political statements (Janek Mäggi) to underscore its arguments.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The data is limited to two speeches delivered during the plenary session on a single day. It mentions participation in committee work and interaction with permanent state officials ("permanent state functionaries"), indicating active involvement in the legislative process.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main opponent is the government and the Reform Party faction, who are criticized both for procedural violations and ideological stances ("hitting them with the gender card"). [The critic] accuses the state of claiming children as its own and restricting parental rights. The opposition is intense and includes personal judgments against the opposing side.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
Although criticizing the Reform Party overall, the speaker recognizes Urve Tiidus as one of the "more reasonable people" in the faction, referencing their previous cooperation spanning three terms. Generally, there is a lack of willingness to compromise with the government; instead, the focus is placed on highlighting the opposing side's errors.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is on national lawmaking and administrative matters that impact the entire country (e.g., the closure of maternity hospitals). There is no specific regional or international focus.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
The necessity of conducting state budgetary analysis when passing legislation is stressed, reflecting concerns regarding the transparency of public finances and expenditures. Although no explicit stances on taxes or economic growth are offered, responsible fiscal discipline is nonetheless required.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
The focus is on parental rights and state control over birth registration, contrasting the liberal slogan "my body, my choice" with the threat of state punishment. It criticizes the use of the "gender card" in political debate and opposes the state’s attempts to claim children as its own.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The primary focus is placed on the quality and procedures of lawmaking, specifically by opposing government drafts that fail to include the mandatory impact assessments. Furthermore, the opposition rejects the dismissal of bills based solely on the lack of development funding, all while demanding complete transparency regarding the state budget.
2 Speeches Analyzed