By Agendas: Hanah Lahe

The political platform centers on increasing youth participation in democracy, strongly advocating for the reduction of the voting and candidacy ages for European Parliament elections to 16 and 18, respectively. This stance is value-driven, highlighting the importance of giving young people the chance to shape their own future and participate in decisions that affect them. This proposed change is justified by the successful experience of local elections, a model that should be replicated for the benefit of democracy.

The political focus centers on the draft bill (647 SE) concerning the repeal of the Motor Vehicle Tax Act. The speaker’s position is aimed at scrutinizing the logic of the arguments presented by the rapporteur, specifically casting doubt on the alleged connection between the introduction of the car tax and the low birth rate. The approach is policy-driven and concentrates on the substantiation of the claims made.

The political focus is currently on the waste reform and the deliberation of the related bill (657 SE). One speaker specifically addresses the implementation challenges associated with digitalization, while the other emphasizes the consensus achieved within the committee and the thorough preparation of the draft legislation. The overall stance is moderately supportive and procedural, concentrating on both the substantive and procedural aspects of the bill.

The speaker strongly supports the processing and advancement of the draft Act on the General Part of the Environmental Code (611 SE). This position is procedural, emphasizing the technical refinement of the draft through the committee’s consensus amendments. The political focus is directed toward the quality of legislation and smooth progress.

Strong opposition to the bill, which seeks the repeal of the mandatory requirement for sustainability reports, because it ignores environmental and social components. Criticism is directed at ideology-based legislation that fails to include a proper impact assessment. The third speaker emphasized the precise distinction of the political position (voluntariness vs. repeal) and procedural correctness.

The political position focuses on streamlining the environmental permit system and reducing bureaucracy, offering moderate support for the bill's objective of lowering the administrative burden on businesses. This position is clearly driven by policy and efficiency, emphasizing the requirement that data only be submitted when there is a direct necessity.

The political position is clearly supportive of Draft Bill 588 SE, a stance rooted in feminist values. The primary focus is on enhancing gender balance within corporate boards, specifically by seeking alternatives to mandatory quotas and extending the scope of the issue to include state-owned enterprises. This focus is value-driven, underscoring the necessity for a fundamental shift in the overall mindset.

The core position is strong support for climate policy, the Green Transition, and the European Union Emissions Trading System (ETS), which is considered a vital tool for sustainable development. The political framework is value-based and forward-looking, underscoring the need to transition toward a cleaner and more climate-resilient economy. The speaker sharply contrasts this with backward-looking policies and support for fossil fuels, viewing climate change as an existential threat that harms the economy and biodiversity. The political message emphasizes intelligence, flexibility, and credibility, rejecting any return to "yesterday's day."

The political stance is firmly aimed at imposing stricter penalties for sexual offenses, criticizing the current situation where sentences are disproportionately lenient. This position is grounded in both values and outcomes, highlighting the necessity of improving the justice system's effectiveness in protecting victims. The speaker calls on the Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs to take immediate steps to stiffen these penalties.

The political focus is directed toward applying technology (artificial intelligence, digitalization) to solve environmental and climate challenges. This approach is strongly solution-oriented, actively seeking new ways for Estonia to succeed in this area and set an example for other nations. This is a results-based approach, tied directly to the implementation of the country's long-term development strategy, "Eesti 2035."

The political position is critical of the narrow focus of Draft Bill 569 OE, which concentrates solely on the infrasound generated by wind turbines. The first speaker strongly emphasizes that the severe health impact of oil shale energy (shorter lifespan, lower birth weight) in Ida-Virumaa is far more significant and is being overlooked. This situation requires a policy and value-based framework that necessitates a comparative assessment of the impacts of various energy types.

The most salient theme is climate change, the danger and reality of which are strongly emphasized, with reference to examples from Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal). The political stance is value-based and seeks to deny the label of "climate hysteria." The link between climate change and national security is also raised, questioning whether these changes constitute a security threat.

The political position is strongly focused on advancing the amendments to the Waste and Packaging Act (430 SE). The focus is policy-driven, emphasizing the clarification of producer responsibility and the reduction of administrative burden for companies regarding the reporting of information campaigns. Support is given to adding new types of packaging to the deposit system regulation. The stance is moderately supportive, concentrating on technical and procedural improvements.

Mitigating climate change and adopting legislation for a climate-resilient economy is a political priority, one that is treated as an existential and direct security threat. This stance is strongly rooted in values and science, emphasizing the necessity of systemic and progressive climate policy. The politician firmly supports the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and sharply criticizes the disregard for science and reactionary policies.

The political position is one of strong opposition to the draft amendment of the Hunting Act (444 SE), as it is insufficiently justified and would lead to the loss of earmarked revenue for the state. This opposition is policy- and results-based, emphasizing that the fee for hunting rights is essential for promoting the field of hunting. The rejection of the draft bill was supported unanimously.

The political position focuses heavily on the climate crisis, which is addressed as an existential problem threatening the sustainability of the state and the fundamental rights of every individual. The speaker strongly advocates for elevating the issue of climate change to a political priority level equivalent to that of the security situation. The framework is strongly value-based, emphasizing the necessity of intelligent decision-making and dignified debate.

The political focus is heavily directed towards addressing the threat posed by extreme weather events and natural disasters resulting from the climate crisis. The speaker stresses the urgent necessity of improving the nation's crisis readiness and overall preparedness for handling such situations. The question directed to the Minister of the Interior points to concerns regarding the practical implementation aspects of the country's long-term development strategy, "Eesti 2035."

The speaker strongly supports the further deliberation of the Draft Act amending the Waste Act (430 SE), proposing to conclude the first reading. The political focus is policy-based and procedural, concentrating on stakeholder feedback and the technical issues concerning the handling of problem products. He/She emphasizes prioritizing the redistribution of food for human consumption before its use as animal feed.

As the initiator of the draft legislation, the speaker strongly supports lowering both the voting and candidacy age for European Parliament elections, framing the issue as one of democracy and societal progress. He emphasizes the aspect of the right to vote as a human right and considers it essential to increase youth representation in politics. The speaker hopes that this discussion will eventually lead to changes in the age limits for Riigikogu elections as well.

The political position is strongly in favor of green reforms and the forthcoming climate law, emphasizing that these are essential for boosting economic competitiveness and ensuring national security. Climate policy is viewed as a practical and value-driven instrument that guarantees a clean environment and a better quality of life for future generations. Phasing out fossil fuels is considered the only sensible route from the standpoint of both security and sustainability.

The political position is strongly oriented towards environmental and resource efficiency, supporting the amendment to the Water Act as a critical step for conserving water resources and tackling the climate crisis. The approach is clearly policy- and value-driven, emphasizing the importance of implementing circular economy principles. The speaker stresses that clean water is a critically important resource, whose significance will only increase over time.

The speaker strongly emphasizes the necessity of high-quality, broad-based environmental education at every educational level, linking it directly to the challenges posed by climate change. This is a policy-driven position, focused on demanding the implementation of commitments made in the coalition agreement. The overall stance is moderately supportive of advancing environmental education but remains demanding when it comes to concrete plans.

The speaker strongly supports the further deliberation of the draft Act on amendments to the Water Act (346 SE) in the Riigikogu. The position is purely procedural, focusing on the completion of the second reading of the draft Act and the schedule for the final vote. The political framework is clearly policy-driven, emphasizing the clarification of norms.

The political focus is placed on the close link between foreign policy and climate policy, stressing the need for global cooperation to address the climate crisis. The speaker strongly backs international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Accord, and views tackling the climate crisis as a vital component of diplomatic action. Their stance is policy-driven, underscoring the practical necessity of achieving these goals at the international level.

The political position centers on strong opposition to the misinformation being spread by political opponents. The speaker defends their colleague, Karmen Joller, against accusations that she recommended eating insects. This stance is value-based, emphasizing honesty and accountability for content disseminated on social media.

The political position strongly supports the rejection of Draft Bill 121 SE, justifying this stance by citing a lack of political necessity, given that the Ministry of Climate is already working on a comprehensive plan to amend the Geological Resources Act. The position is distinctly procedural and policy-based, emphasizing the need to avoid the duplication of legislation. The draft bill is also criticized for failing to analyze the input provided by local governments (LGAs).

The political position is firmly against Draft Bill 160 SE, stressing the necessity of making evidence-based decisions and avoiding legislation that lacks a scientific foundation. The speaker broadly supports focusing efforts on addressing climate change, but deems the current bill ineffective and potentially detrimental, as it would necessitate closing Estonian airspace to air traffic. The stance is robustly grounded in both policy and science.

The political position is both procedural and policy-driven, focusing on the handling of the draft bill (346 SE) to amend the Water Act. The speaker supports the Environmental Committee's consensus proposal to conclude the first reading of the bill. The focus is on the proper execution of the legislative process and the communication of the committee's findings.