By Months: Heljo Pikhof
Total Months: 17
Fully Profiled: 17
10.2025
4 Speeches
Economic analysts are critical of the government's plan to "rent out prison space," labeling it merely a convenient export service designed to solve Sweden's problems. They stress that the financial benefits do not outweigh the increased strain on internal security and the social system (specifically healthcare). There are serious doubts about whether this business plan will actually yield any real benefit for the Estonian state.
09.2025
28 Speeches
The economic perspectives are strongly geared toward the interests of workers, stressing the positive impact of work-life balance on both productivity and health. The speaker believes that longer periods of rest stimulate consumption (tourism, hospitality), and that the economic impact is likely positive or neutral, rather than threatening. He/She disputes the government's claims regarding a negative economic impact, citing analysts who see no direct correlation between GDP and hours worked.
06.2025
36 Speeches
The speaker supports state intervention and significant additional expenditures (66 million euros) aimed at achieving social objectives, such as free early childhood education. He/She calls for stricter financial regulation and state oversight of debt collection agencies to protect consumers from debt bondage. Furthermore, he/she criticizes the Reform Party's tax policy and the underlying logic used for identifying funding sources.
05.2025
7 Speeches
Economic perspectives emphasize social protection and the interests of the workforce, highlighting the concern expressed by the Central Federation of Trade Unions over the disappearance of unemployment benefits. The speaker is a staunch defender of private property rights, demanding fair compensation for restrictions imposed due to nature conservation, which must reflect the lost revenue. Furthermore, he/she opposes the income taxation of these compensations.
04.2025
1 Speeches
The economic views are focused on the workforce, advocating for paid time off for employees. The speaker actively rejects the argument that additional holidays would threaten the Estonian economy or labor productivity. Instead, it is emphasized that Estonia stands out with more workdays and working hours than the European average, indicating a need to reduce the overall workload.
03.2025
1 Speeches
Insufficient data.
02.2025
10 Speeches
Economic perspectives emphasize stable funding for research and development (R&D), calling for it to be fixed at a minimum of 1% of GDP to guarantee long-term research. It is stressed that this funding should not be used as a tool for political leverage but must instead be based on quality criteria.
01.2025
1 Speeches
Economic perspectives emphasize the importance of investing in education as a means of boosting economic competitiveness and addressing the needs of the labor market. Support is given to flexible solutions that help individuals cope with digital transformation, prioritizing the rapid acquisition of necessary skills.
12.2024
4 Speeches
Economic perspectives emphasize the role of education in economic growth and meeting labor market demands, supporting the state's responsibility for creating educational opportunities. The objective is to reduce youth unemployment and ensure that young people entering the workforce are adequately prepared, given that jobs increasingly demand general competencies and higher levels of education. Flexible learning options (such as learning modules/bites and micro-degrees) are supported for those entering the labor market.
11.2024
19 Speeches
Insufficient data. While the speeches do concern the financing of the education reform and the financial support of local governments (including resources from the European Social Fund), broader positions on taxes, trade, or economic growth are lacking.
09.2024
2 Speeches
Economic perspectives indicate a willingness to increase regulations in the construction sector by establishing national requirements for the creation of shelter facilities. This means that it is prepared to impose additional obligations on developers in the name of national security and preparedness.
06.2024
9 Speeches
Economic considerations are tied to education funding, specifically raising questions about the extra revenue generated by making vocational education partially fee-based, and about the budget forecasts for 2028 and 2029. He/She supports reforms that allocate resources toward creating additional study places for young people aged 16 and up, and factors in the utilization of external funding.
05.2024
6 Speeches
Economic arguments favor national investments in education and cultural infrastructure, viewing this as the key to Estonia's future success. There is a demand for the state's contribution to gradually increase to maintain salary parity between kindergarten teachers and school teachers. Furthermore, cost-sharing with international partners in cultural projects is supported.
04.2024
11 Speeches
Economic perspectives emphasize the financial revenue generated by the cultural sector (the creative economy, the Film Estonia rebate system) and the necessity of directing state resources purposefully while avoiding waste. A crucial priority is maintaining the competitiveness of cultural workers' salaries and ensuring social protection for creative professionals (healthcare, pension, unemployment insurance) through amendments to the Cultural Endowment Act.
03.2024
2 Speeches
The speaker supports expanding social protection and ensuring fair remuneration, funded by the additional revenue generated from increased gambling tax and alcohol and tobacco excise duties. The objective is to guarantee stable income and social protection for creative professionals, while ensuring that net income does not decrease. Support is given to paying taxes on creative remuneration to establish social guarantees.
02.2024
12 Speeches
Supports the expansion of social security by funding social guarantees for creative professionals through already implemented tax increases (gambling tax, alcohol and tobacco excise). It advocates fiscal responsibility, ensuring that the resources of the Cultural Endowment's capital funds are not diminished by new liabilities. It views securing social protection (creative remuneration) as more important and legitimate than providing tax-exempt benefits.
01.2024
9 Speeches
Economic perspectives center on improving the efficiency of education funding, pointing out that the current investment (6% of GDP) is ineffective. Support is given to achieving cost savings by streamlining the school network and allowing community centers to generate revenue by renting out their facilities. Furthermore, there is a recognized need to provide teachers with financial security through salary increases.