Agenda Profile: Urmas Kruuse
The Regional Affairs and Agricultural Minister's 2024 presentation on the implementation of the state’s long-term development strategy "Estonia 2035"
2024-09-25
15th Riigikogu, 4th sitting, plenary session
Political Position
A strong focus is placed on food security and regional development, which is treated as a cross-cutting theme across all policies. The politician strongly supports boosting agricultural competitiveness, calling for direct subsidies to be raised to 90–95% of the EU average. Criticism is aimed at the government’s slow progress regarding public procurement and public transport reform, and challenges the minister’s assertion regarding the benefits of lowering the value-added tax (VAT).
4 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
High expertise in the fields of agriculture, food production, and regional policy, utilizing specific statistical data (e.g., direct support percentages, special diesel consumption, and the share of organic land). Demonstrates systemic knowledge regarding the intricacies of bureaucracy, the veterinary workforce pipeline, and local government financing details. References previous discussions (the Coop representative, the Court of Auditors report) to support their arguments.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The tone is formal, professional, and well-argued, emphasizing logical and fact-based appeals. It uses criticism (e.g., the decline in school meal quality, the slowness of procurement processes) to highlight areas of concern, but immediately offers concrete solutions (risk-based control, a unified ticketing system). It concludes with a short, slightly humorous remark regarding the minister's heavy workload.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker is actively participating in the Riigikogu sitting, utilizing additional time and posing detailed questions to the minister. He/She references prior communication with entrepreneurs and officials, as well as the work of the Rural Affairs Committee, which demonstrates continuous engagement with sector-specific issues.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The criticism is primarily aimed at the government's and the minister's inaction or inefficiency, particularly concerning the excessively long timeline (2027) set for resolving public procurement issues related to local food. It disputes the minister's claim regarding the benefit of lowering VAT on foodstuffs, highlighting contrary statistics from other countries. The minister is also criticized for failing to mention the coalition's positive steps, such as the preferential rate for special diesel.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
It stresses the necessity of collaboration among communities and various levels (state, local government, individual) when guaranteeing the quality of school meals. It refers positively to the decisions made by the previous coalition government (the subsidized rate for special diesel), demonstrating a willingness to acknowledge political continuity.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
A strong regional focus, emphasizing rural development, the status of food producers across different regions of Estonia, and the necessity of cross-border cooperation between local municipalities. It supports the activities of the Rural Development Foundation and prioritizes countryside-appropriate, human-centric housing over apartment buildings.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
It supports strengthening the competitiveness of the agricultural sector through state subsidies and tax incentives (the minimum preferential rate for special diesel). It demands fiscal responsibility, criticizing the double costs associated with public transport and the waste of school meals. Regarding the financing of local governments, it prioritizes increasing the equalization fund to support smaller municipalities and those located in peripheral areas.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
It focuses on social issues related to education, particularly the quality and funding of school meals, criticizing the concept of "free school meals." It also addresses the problem of the lack of new veterinarians, suggesting solutions like shortening the study period and training veterinary assistants. Furthermore, it touches upon the topic of animal welfare.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The priority is negotiations within the EU regarding direct agricultural subsidies and reducing bureaucracy through risk-based control. It calls for a rapid solution to establish a unified ticketing system in public transport and criticizes the government's sluggish legislative action concerning the public procurement of local food. It supports the processing of draft legislation in the field of animal welfare.
4 Speeches Analyzed