By Plenary Sessions: Urmas Kruuse
Total Sessions: 56
Fully Profiled: 56
2025-10-15
The 15th Riigikogu, VI Session, Plenary Sitting
The political stance is heavily focused on the level and proportion of direct agricultural payments within the European Union. The speaker highlights concerns that the subsidies are not increasing, and questions whether Estonia's share can realistically reach the European average (currently sitting at 83–84%). This position is centered around policy and statistics, underscoring the necessity of supporting the competitiveness of Estonian farmers.
2025-10-09
15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting
The political emphasis is placed on leveraging the uniqueness and innovativeness of the Estonian e-state for its continued development. Concerns are raised regarding the lack of risk appetite among new generations and the continuity of entrepreneurship. The role of the defense industry in creating added value through innovation and technological solutions is strongly supported, as it is seen to hold potential for impacting everyday life. The political framework is explicitly policy-driven and results-oriented.
2025-10-07
The 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting
The political focus is centered on defending the government's fiscal policy and adjusting public understanding concerning the tax burden. The speaker aims to stress that the overall tax burden is actually decreasing, even though national defense spending accounts for over 5% of GDP. This is a strongly performance-based stance designed to neutralize the criticism coming from opponents.
2025-09-24
Fifteenth Riigikogu, sixth sitting, plenary sitting.
The speaker emphasizes the political urgency surrounding the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and food security, calling for strategic choices to be made within the next two years, rather than waiting until 2035. The position is strongly policy-driven, focusing on selecting specific sectors instead of dispersing resources, and mitigating regional inequality. The speaker expresses moderate disagreement with the minister regarding the acceptability of the 40% regional support threshold in rural areas.
2025-09-18
15th Estonian Parliament, 6th sitting, plenary session.
The political focus is on the macroeconomic situation of the economy, especially the debt burden and the dynamics of wage growth and economic growth during times of crisis. The viewpoints presented are framed as questions and concentrate more on analyzing the performance of the economy rather than offering specific political solutions. The speaker posits the hypothesis that the current economic situation may be a correction following previous over-leveraged growth.
2025-09-16
Fifteenth Riigikogu, sixth sitting, plenary sitting.
The political platform strongly focuses on the necessity of education reform, questioning the relevance of entrance examinations for both first grade and gymnasium, citing evidence-based impracticality. A second major theme is the protection of civil liberties and concern over criminal cases initiated by political opponents regarding residency registration. The focus is both policy-oriented and value-driven (freedom, justice).
2025-09-11
15th Riigikogu, 6th plenary sitting
The political focus is directed toward financial stability and the protection of depositors' funds within credit unions. This stance is policy-driven, emphasizing the need for regulatory clarity and questioning whether the community lending model has, for objective reasons, become obsolete.
2025-09-09
15th Riigikogu, 6th sitting, plenary session.
The political focus is on national defense and the efficiency of domestic crisis management, particularly regarding notification procedures. Furthermore, the speaker strongly advocates for the use of Estonian raw materials and food within the Defense Forces (Kaitsevägi) and the Defense League (Kaitseliit), connecting this practice to strategic security and the stability of the food sector. This stance is clearly policy- and results-driven, centered on addressing systemic shortcomings.
2025-09-04
15th Riigikogu, extraordinary session of the Riigikogu
The political position strongly focuses on parliamentary procedure and legislative efficiency. He/She defends the procedural correctness of the Rural Affairs Committee against opponents' accusations and emphasizes the personal responsibility of deputies to monitor the sessions. The political framework is distinctly procedural and geared toward adherence to the rules.
2025-06-10
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting.
The political position is twofold: firstly, strong, value-based criticism directed at the strict control of the residence register, deeming it outdated and privacy-infringing. Secondly, there is support for extending the deadlines for the entry into force of the law in the field of early childhood education, aligning with the needs of local governments. The criticism regarding the residence register is aimed more at principles and tenets, rather than specific political opponents.
2025-06-05
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session.
The political focus is on Estonia’s economic competitiveness, particularly in the context of service exports and industrial efficiency. The speaker is concerned that broadband infrastructure remains unused due to ownership issues, and emphasizes the role of state flexibility and foresight in achieving export success. The policy stance is results-oriented, seeking solutions to structural problems (such as the gap in agricultural efficiency compared to Lithuania).
2025-06-03
Fifteenth Riigikogu, fifth session, plenary session
The political stance centers on strong support for the Rail Baltic project, which is viewed as a strategic necessity and an opportunity for connectivity, and opposition to hindering it is branded a total mistake. The speaker also stresses the necessity of keeping certain national defense-related information confidential from the public. These viewpoints are heavily focused on policy and strategy.
2025-05-15
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
The political focus is currently centered on preparing young people for the future job market and national defense. The speaker firmly supports the early integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the school curriculum to help students select appropriate careers. However, he also expresses concern regarding the poor physical fitness of young men drafted into the Defense Forces, viewing this as a systemic failure that has persisted for decades and requires an urgent solution.
2025-05-13
15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, plenary session
The political stance is heavily focused on reducing bureaucracy by abolishing the mandatory licensing requirement for catering services in childcare facilities, thereby granting service providers greater freedom in organizing their operations. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the necessity of correcting technical regulatory errors and inaccuracies that emerged during previous legislative processes. We support raising the quality of school meals, recognizing that this responsibility is shared by the state, local municipalities, and parents. Policy development is strongly geared toward resolving practical and procedural issues.
2025-05-08
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
The primary concern is the functioning and culture of the legal system, particularly regarding the premature leakage of investigation data from the prosecutor’s office and the subsequent public prejudgment of cases. The speaker also strongly criticizes the inefficiency of drawn-out investigations (lasting 3–5 years), which ultimately result in court dismissals due to weak evidence. This stance represents performance-focused criticism directed at state institutions.
2025-05-06
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
The political focus is on financial literacy and the stability of the pension system. The speaker strongly supports integrating financial literacy into school curricula, deeming it crucial for the future. He criticizes previous pension reforms because of their negative consequences, citing an analysis by the Bank of Estonia. This stance is strongly policy-driven and results-oriented.
2025-04-22
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
The political focus is centered on the systematic support of culture and sport. The speaker strongly supports increasing the lending remuneration paid to authors and expresses hope for further growth, connecting this development with the increased confidence of Estonian authors. The issue of preventing talented young athletes from dropping out of the sports system is also being raised, which aims to unlock their full potential.
2025-04-15
Fifteenth Riigikogu, Fifth Session, Plenary Session.
The political position centers on security and fiscal responsibility. The speaker strongly emphasizes the need to exclude foreign inmates from entering Estonian society and questions the taxpayer cost involved in managing child support debt. The overall approach is policy-driven, stressing national security and economic efficiency.
2025-03-11
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
The most crucial issue is exiting the recession and restoring economic growth. We are maintaining a strong focus on the role of entrepreneurs in revitalizing the economy, and, where necessary, on implementing state measures to support exports. The political framework is results-oriented, concentrating on economic performance and adaptability.
2025-02-26
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
The political focus is directed toward effective lawmaking and preventing economic damage that has resulted from ineffective regulation or judicial intervention. There is a particular emphasis on the need to resolve issues that have caused significant financial harm to businesses. The stance is primarily policy- and results-driven, assessing the actual impact of regulations.
2025-02-20
15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, plenary session.
The political focus is heavily directed toward sports policy, youth physical activity, and the organization of education. The speaker supports developing the coach support system but criticizes the unfair funding requirements imposed by local governments (e.g., Estonian Olympic Committee membership). They emphasize the philosophical importance of physical activity for mental health and defense capability, prioritizing practical and inexpensive solutions over grand schemes. The stance is rooted in policy and values, aiming for systemic fairness and efficiency.
2025-02-18
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
The political position is strongly opposed to the proposed banking regulation draft, calling its credibility into question. The primary focus is policy-driven, emphasizing economic stability and the competitiveness of Estonian-owned banks. The speaker sharply criticizes the presenter's comparison between banks and casinos, arguing that it undermines the seriousness of the draft legislation.
2025-02-12
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
The political focus is centered on improving the accountability and legal interpretation of local governments (LGUs) regarding the enforcement of pet ownership regulations. The speaker offers moderate support for the minister’s ambition to amend the Local Government Organization Act but emphasizes the necessity of viewing the problems holistically, focusing on both incidents (attacks) and animal welfare. This stance is policy-based, driven by the suspicion that the current draft legislation fails to adequately resolve the issue.
2025-02-11
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
The political focus is heavily directed toward the threat of Russian aggression and the necessity of defending European democracy and the international legal order. The speaker emphasizes that only pure force—both military and economic—will prevail against Russia. He criticizes the West for failing to counter the aggression with sufficient speed, despite the fact that supporting Ukraine is currently the cheapest way to deter the threat. This stance is value-based and underscores the critical importance of democracy's survival.
2025-01-29
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
The political focus centers on remedying legislative errors and ensuring the proper transposition of European Union directives into the Estonian legal framework. The stance strongly supports these technical amendments, while simultaneously stressing the need for a respectful approach toward businesses and animal welfare. This constitutes a primarily policy- and procedural-focused approach, designed to fulfill the state's responsibilities.
2025-01-21
15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, plenary session
The political focus is on supporting Draft Bill 546, which proposes amendments to the Act on the Implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy and the Feed Act, emphasizing the need to align these laws with EU changes and establish greater legal clarity. The speaker defends the existing labor relations regulations and the role of the Labor Inspectorate, viewing them as a general good that employers are prepared to comply with. The direction is one of moderately strong support for the government-initiated bill and the reduction of bureaucracy, which is framed as a policy-based and practical approach. He expresses firm confidence in the future of the agricultural sector.
2024-12-17
15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
The political position involves moderate support for implementing the European Union’s social conditionality, while stressing that this will not create an additional burden for Estonian businesses. The focus is on advancing the legislative process, relying on the Commission's consensus decisions and alleviating fears of excessive punitive measures. The framework of this position is primarily policy- and procedure-based.
2024-11-21
15th Estonian Parliament, 4th sitting, plenary session
The political focus centers on climate change adaptation and its associated costs, highlighting the necessity of striking a reasonable balance between the speed and the price of adaptation. The speaker strongly criticizes the political and substantive underestimation of the costs that will arise in the future as a consequence of inaction. This stance is value-driven and results-oriented, underscoring the economic rationale behind proactive measures.
2024-11-19
15th Riigikogu, 4th sitting, plenary session.
The speaker's position is focused on the smooth advancement of legislation, supporting Bill 473 initiated by the Government of the Republic (amendments to the Plant Propagation and Variety Protection Act and the Forest Act). The support is moderate and procedural, emphasizing the importance of the bill's swift and consensual processing. The stance is clearly policy-driven, focusing on the organization of parliamentary work.
2024-11-11
15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
The political focus is on state funding for abortion services and treating them as a healthcare service. The speaker strongly supports the continuation of funding, emphasizing that it helps achieve the long-term goal—reducing the total number of abortions. The position is clearly policy- and results-based, emphasizing a broader approach to healthcare services.
2024-11-05
Fifteenth Riigikogu, fourth session, plenary session
The speaker is focusing on the structure of direct agricultural payments, strongly advocating for a support system geared towards competitiveness. He/She expresses concern and opposition regarding a potential shift in direction towards more social and less competition-based support, deeming this quite dangerous for Estonian farmers. The political framework itself is currently aimed at policy effectiveness and increasing the level of subsidies.
2024-10-22
15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
The political position is strongly opposed to the draft bill concerning the additional taxation of banks at a rate of 50%, deeming it disproportionate and damaging to the economy. It is emphasized that the bill should be relegated to the dustbin of history, as it sends a negative signal to investors and consumers. This approach is heavily focused on the future of the political and economic environment.
2024-10-14
15th Estonian Parliament, 4th session, plenary sitting
The politician expresses concern regarding social insecurity and the discrimination faced by large families, questioning the sustainability of the generous social system against the backdrop of rising alimony debt and the threat of war. Conversely, he acts as a legislative leader, offering consensual support for the reduction of bureaucracy and the preservation of heritage varieties. The framing of social policy is primarily value-based and critical, highlighting insecurity within partnerships.
2024-09-25
15th Riigikogu, 4th sitting, plenary session
The political position strongly focuses on regional policy, food security, and agricultural competitiveness. The speaker supports strategically increasing direct payments to the European average level of 90–95%, alongside reducing bureaucracy through risk-based checks. The framework is policy- and structure-oriented, emphasizing specific funding measures and systemic solutions. Furthermore, the need to improve funding systems for public transport and local authorities is highlighted.
2024-09-17
15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
The political focus is placed on the efficiency of government agencies, particularly the performance-oriented deadlines for responding to citizens' correspondence. A firm stance addresses the balance between individual liberties and children's rights within the context of child protection. The speaker raises the question of whether a parent's discretion regarding the reporting of support services might jeopardize the child's rights, pointing to a conflict rooted in differing values.
2024-09-16
The 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting.
The political stance regarding the substantive goals of the draft bill remains undefined, as the discussion focuses exclusively on procedural decisions and describing the process. The entire focus is directed toward managing and executing legislative procedures, rather than value-based or political stances.
2024-09-11
Fifteenth Riigikogu, fourth session, plenary session
The political focus is on defending local government autonomy and resisting intervention when it comes to setting kindergarten fees. The speaker challenges the presenter's assertions regarding the high cost of kindergarten fees in Tartu, demanding evidence based on data. This position is strongly value-based, emphasizing the local community's right to make its own decisions.
2024-06-13
Fifteenth Riigikogu, Third Session, Plenary Session
The political focus is centered on economic justice and financial risks. The speaker suspects that crises were exploited to generate inflation, serving as an opportunity for unjustified price increases, which highlights serious concerns about market transparency. Furthermore, he expresses strong skepticism regarding cryptocurrencies, questioning whether they are merely a pyramid scheme or a tool for concealing income.
2024-05-14
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session
The political focus is on the practical implementation of regulations governing early childhood education and childcare, as well as improving the planning capacity of local municipalities. The speaker is seeking clarification regarding the impact of the legislative amendments on kindergarten waiting lists and the overall structure of services. The approach is primarily policy-driven and centered on system efficiency.
2024-05-13
15th Estonian Parliament, 3rd session, plenary session
The political focus is on banking regulations and client rights, particularly regarding the closure of bank accounts. The speaker adopts an investigative and policy-based stance, seeking to clarify whether one bank's decision to close an account automatically means that financial exclusion will spread to other banks. The tone is moderate, concentrating on explaining the facts and consequences.
2024-05-09
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session
The political stance is strongly supportive of the e-voting system, outright rejecting the argument that it poses a threat to democracy. The speaker stresses that e-voting represents freedom of choice, given that voters always have the alternative option of casting a paper ballot. This position is deeply rooted in policy and values, and serves to defend the trustworthiness of the current system.
2024-05-08
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session.
The political position centers on the seamless steering of the legislative process and moving forward with Bill 378. Support is given for deferring the effective date to ensure the President has adequate time for the law's promulgation, thereby emphasizing procedural correctness and dignity. This stance is primarily procedural and policy-driven, rather than value-based.
2024-04-18
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting
The speaker focuses on the topic of establishing a nuclear power plant, emphasizing the need for serious discussions within the Riigikogu before any decisions are adopted. The stance is investigative and policy-driven, specifically seeking counterarguments that might impede the project's development. By posing this question, the speaker underscores the legislative body's crucial role in making significant decisions.
2024-04-16
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session
The political position centers on culture and regional accessibility, highlighting the problem of theatre tickets selling out rapidly and performances being staged outside the main venue. This position is aimed at improving the situation and evaluating the minister's performance concerning the regional dimension. The stance is primarily results-based, assessing the actual scope and reach of cultural institutions.
2024-04-11
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session
The speaker focuses intensely on the critical state of veterinary medicine in Estonia, highlighting the shortage of specialists, low salaries, and the resulting impact on food security and public health. He takes the position that the state must strategically prioritize this regulated profession and, in cooperation between the government and parliament, find comprehensive solutions. The political framework is strongly policy- and value-driven, underscoring the indispensability of the profession.
2024-04-02
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary sitting
The political position strongly supports the technical legislative amendments necessary to harmonize the Food Act with European Union law, particularly concerning the directive on the treatment of food with ionizing radiation. This position is primarily framed by a pragmatic and results-oriented approach, emphasizing the saving of taxpayer money through the optimization of laboratory services. Support for the draft bill is robust to ensure its entry into force by the planned deadline of June 1, 2024.
2024-03-19
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session
The political position heavily focuses on criticizing the funding of the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) and its budget deficit (€147 million). The speaker rejects the minister’s stance that such large sums are negligible, emphasizing instead the necessity of fiscal discipline and behavioral accountability. The policy framework is clearly results-oriented and centered on cost efficiency.
2024-03-07
Fifteenth Riigikogu, third sitting, plenary session
The political focus is on strategic energy security and supply reliability, driven by Russian aggression in Ukraine. The speaker moderately supports retaining gas plants to cover peak consumption and actively inquires about the prospects of biogas in Estonia. Strategic security and supply reliability are placed on the same footing as climate aspects, emphasizing the need for policy and risk management.
2024-03-06
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session
The political focus is directed towards energy policy and renewable energy solutions, emphasizing the strategic importance of offshore wind farms. They maintain a moderate, policy-driven stance, attempting to balance the higher cost of investments with the potential for greater energy production. This position is clearly grounded in policy and facts.
2024-03-05
15th Estonian Parliament, 3rd sitting, plenary session
The political focus is on education policy and the effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing school dropout. A results-based requirement is put forward, stating that the fulfillment of state obligations must be supported by specific analysis and fundamental research. The speaker demands a clear justification for why measures (such as extending the school day/year) should lead to the desired outcome (reducing the number of dropouts to zero).
2024-02-15
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session
The political focus is on boosting the economy's competitiveness, particularly the export capacity of the food industry. Emphasis is also placed on the need to resolve issues that have emerged due to the abandonment of cheap Russian raw materials. The speaker supports a climate law with clear objectives, viewing it as a necessary step for integration into global trade. The focus is heavily policy- and results-driven, concentrating on the practical challenges faced by businesses.
2024-02-13
15th Estonian Parliament, 3rd session, plenary session
The political focus is heavily centered on national defense and collective security within the NATO framework. The speaker supports Estonia's contributions to defense objectives and stresses the necessity for all allies to meet the 2% GDP target. Furthermore, concern and opposition are voiced regarding dangerous geopolitical trends, such as Viktor Orbán's proposal to turn Ukraine into a buffer zone, viewing this as posing both historical and future threats.
2024-02-08
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session.
The political focus is on the regulation and labeling of novel foods, particularly foodstuffs containing insects. The speaker adopts a strong, policy-driven stance, emphasizing the necessity of adhering to existing EU regulations and food safety requirements. They oppose the draft bill, arguing that there is no legal basis to establish domestic labeling requirements in a field that is already regulated at the pan-European level.
2024-02-07
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary sitting.
The most prominent topic is the work of the Rural Affairs Committee and the processing of the draft legislation in the Riigikogu. The political stance is supportive and procedure-driven, emphasizing the consensus reached within the committee and the substantive nature of the debate. The focus is directed more toward the smooth execution of the legislative process rather than specific political content.
2024-01-23
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session
The speaker takes a critical stance on the centralization of research funding, emphasizing the danger that focused topics might be neglected due to the inter-ministerial program. This position is policy-based and focuses primarily on ensuring the financing of agriculture and food production. The concern is moderate, expressed in the question of whether the government "isn't a little bit afraid of this."
2024-01-18
15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session
The political stance is strongly focused on the rapid and decisive reform of the education system, criticizing the 2035 deadline for the gymnasium reform as a clearly excessive timeline. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of optimizing services and ensuring teacher sustainability through adequate compensation, which necessitates structural changes. The political framework is clearly policy-driven, focusing on efficiency and administrative management.