Agenda Profile: Kalle Laanet

Draft law amending the Act on Documents Establishing Identity and amending other acts in consequence (572 SE) – first reading

2025-04-09

15th Estonian Parliament, 5th session, plenary session

Political Position
The most critical issues are ensuring national security by preventing the misuse of e-residency and citizenship fraud, and achieving administrative efficiency by ceasing the issuance of the digital identity card. The political stance is strongly policy- and security-driven, emphasizing the necessity of eliminating money laundering and terrorism financing risks, which have also been highlighted in international reports. The urgent need to amend the legislation also arose from the practical problem that the contract for digital identity cards expires on May 1st.

1 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
High expertise was demonstrated regarding the procedures for issuing identity documents, e-residency risk management, and the timing of legislation. Officials (Läänemets, Mägi) utilized technical terminology and data, explaining, for example, the reasons for the decline of the digital ID card (low interest, lack of a contract) and the application of DNA expertise as a last resort in determining citizenship. Läänemets specifically named the countries subject to e-residency restrictions (North Korea, Russia, Iran, Syria, Belarus).

1 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The overall tone is official, procedural, and focused on a detailed summary of the bill's proceedings, which is characteristic of a committee chairman's presentation. The argumentation is primarily logical and fact-based, relying on explanations provided by officials and decisions reached by consensus. Anti Poolamets, conversely, employed sharper and more critical rhetoric, labeling e-residency an "extremely dangerous black hole."

1 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The operational focus centers on the work of the Riigikogu Constitutional Committee, including the submission of summaries from the sessions held on February 18 and April 7. A key activity involved the urgent transfer of statutory provisions from Draft Bill 572 to Draft Bill 548 to ensure their entry into force before May 1. Kalle Laanet assumed the role of the committee representative following Hendrik Johannes Terras's move to the government.

1 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
Criticism was presented by Eduard Odinets and Anti Poolamets. Odinets challenged the scope and strictness of the DNA expertise requirement, especially regarding the risk of children born in Estonia losing their citizenship. Poolamets sharply criticized the e-residency system as an international threat that places Estonia under scrutiny as a former top money laundering country, citing a Council of Europe report.

1 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
Cooperation was evident within the committee, where procedural decisions (inclusion on the agenda, completion of the first reading) were made by consensus. Close cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior (Läänemets, Mägi) was noted regarding the transfer of the draft law’s provisions into another bill (548) due to the practical necessity of meeting the May 1st deadline.

1 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is primarily on international security and political issues related to e-residency. Emphasis was placed on the need to restrict the provision of the service to high-risk countries such as Russia, Belarus, and North Korea. The politically sensitive role of China and Taiwan within the context of e-residency was also addressed.

1 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic considerations focus on reducing administrative costs and mitigating financial risks. The discontinuation of the digital ID card was justified by low user interest and subsequent inefficiency compared to Mobile-ID or Smart-ID. Restrictions on e-residency are aimed at protecting Estonia's reputation from the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing.

1 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
The central social issue is the integrity of citizenship and the use of DNA testing to prevent fraud, especially since the start of Russia's war. Officials stressed that requiring a DNA test is a last resort, used only in cases of justified suspicion, to ensure the validity of citizenship by birth. Odinets raised the issue of social justice concerning children who might lose their citizenship due to a procedural error.

1 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The main legislative priority is the amendment of the Identity Documents Act (Bill 572 SE) to strengthen security controls related to e-residency and citizenship. Also crucial was the urgent transfer of provisions concerning the invalidation of digital identity cards into Draft Bill 548, ensuring they would enter into force by May 1st. Kalle Laanet, acting as the committee's representative, proposed concluding the first reading of the draft bill.

1 Speeches Analyzed