By Months: Madis Kallas

The political position is strongly aimed at supporting regional balance and the decentralization of state governance, emphasizing the necessity of moving jobs out of Tallinn and Tartu. The speaker supports the draft bill amending the Government of the Republic Act, viewing it as a crucial step in narrowing the regional divide. This stance is predominantly value- and policy-driven, highlighting the need for robust state intervention to halt negative urbanization trends.

The speaker strongly supports the administrative reform and the reorganization of state institutions, particularly the establishment of the Land and Space Agency (MaRu), emphasizing that these are long-term, cross-coalition processes. They advocate for reducing bureaucracy wherever feasible and support greater autonomy for local governments (LG), for instance, concerning land tax issues. The political focus is clearly aimed at policy- and performance-based management, stressing the consolidation of expertise and the improved utilization of data.

The political position is strongly value-based and security-oriented, firmly advocating for the disenfranchisement of pro-Putin individuals. The speaker stresses that the current situation is unacceptable to him or her and many other social democrats, and demands the swift development of concrete solutions ahead of the 2025 local government elections. Furthermore, interest is being shown in the historical background of the legislation and the impact that legal deadlines have on the judicial system.

The speaker heavily stresses the importance of regional political balance, criticizing the decision-making process centered on Harju County that fails to account for the lived experiences of other regions. He supports the decentralization of state workplaces and the continuation of the model involving officials working remotely/in the field. Furthermore, he is focused on strengthening data security to prevent the misuse of land register data.

The political focus is heavily centered on reducing regional inequality and mitigating the marginalization of peripheral areas, viewing this effort as settling a long-term obligation. The speaker strongly backs the current bill, which reforms local government funding to prevent Estonia from drifting toward an even greater state of disequilibrium. This position is rooted in both policy and values, stressing the necessity of taking decisive action and not fearing change.

The political focus is strongly directed towards increasing the autonomy and trust placed in local authorities (LAs), especially in the context of amendments to the Land Tax Act, where LAs are granted greater decision-making power in determining the growth limit. The speaker also considers the stronger involvement of LAs in crisis resolution to be important. The political framework is trust-based, emphasizing that LAs make decisions closer to the people than the Riigikogu (Parliament) in Toompea. Another important priority is the establishment of the Land and Spatial Planning Agency (MaRu) to reduce fragmentation and improve the country’s competence in spatial planning.

The speaker, a social democrat, focuses strongly on reducing regional inequality and increasing the financial autonomy of local governments, which they vigorously support. They are critical of the cuts necessary to achieve state budget stability, preferring instead a review of taxation, and see the only societal readiness for implementing a national defense tax. Their framework is rather value-based (regional justice) and policy-based (local government autonomy).