Session Profile: Madis Kallas
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session
2024-05-29
Political Position
The political position strongly favors increasing the financial autonomy and decision-making freedom of local governments (LGs), especially regarding land tax issues. This stance is value-based, emphasizing trust in LG leaders and viewing them as equal partners to the state. The speaker strongly supports the draft bill, which creates opportunities for reducing regional inequality.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates authoritative and technical expertise in regulating local government (LG) financial autonomy and land tax. He draws on his previous experience (as a former mayor, rural municipality head, and minister) to explain the complexity of forecasting and provides examples regarding the nature of the 10% growth cap. He is familiar with the audits conducted by international organizations and the positions held by the Central Union of Farmers.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is formal, persuasive, and explanatory, focusing on elucidating the objectives and details of the legislative amendment. Logical appeals and examples (e.g., the analogy of speed limits) are employed to dispel doubts. The speaker repeatedly emphasizes the principle of trust and proximity, concluding with a call to trust local authorities.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker points to active communication and consultations, mentioning repeated meetings with city mayors and rural municipality heads. He also recalls meeting with the Central Union of Farmers during his tenure as minister, which demonstrates a prior pattern of engagement.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The speaker addresses the remarks submitted by the Social Democratic faction and dismisses concerns regarding the reliability of local municipalities. The criticism targets a misinterpretation of the bill's specifics (the absence of forecasts, the 10% limit), but the response is explanatory rather than aggressive.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
The speaker is open to cooperating on clarifying the text of the law, promising that if the detailed elaboration has raised questions, it must be written more precisely between the two readings. He/She also acknowledges the clear and unified message from the Central Union of Farmers regarding the taxation of agricultural land.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is heavily regional, stressing that local councils are closest to the people and should make their own decisions. The speaker lists several regions (e.g., Võrumaa, Mulgimaa, Viljandimaa, Saaremaa, Ida-Virumaa) to highlight the need for flexibility that isn't dictated by Toompea. He/She emphasizes that the law aims to address regional inequality.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic perspectives advocate for fiscal decentralization, granting local governments greater discretion over the size of their budgets and the setting of land tax rates. They support wider brackets for determining the land tax percentage, allowing each region to make its own decisions. However, sensitivity towards the agricultural sector is also evident, as there is an emphasis on maintaining the current taxation percentage for commercial land, specifically agricultural and forest land.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
Insufficient data.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The main legislative focus is the land tax bill, which aims to increase the financial autonomy of local municipalities. The speaker is a strong proponent of this initiative, highlighting as key achievements the extension of the decision deadline until October 1st and the maintenance of the unchanged tax rate for agricultural land. He emphasizes that this change will not impose any additional obligations on local governments.
3 Speeches Analyzed