By Months: Heljo Pikhof

The politician strongly supports extending compulsory schooling until the age of 18 in order to reduce the proportion of youth in society with low educational attainment and a lack of skills. This is clearly a policy- and value-based position aimed at solving social and economic problems through improved employment. The politician is a member of the Social Democrats, who support the draft legislation. Furthermore, the politician emphasizes procedural justice and equal treatment in parliament.

The speaker’s position is strongly procedural and value-driven. They oppose constitutional amendment bills that restrict suffrage or attempt to define Estonia’s value framework, viewing such actions as undermining the democratic constitutional order. Furthermore, they defend women’s rights and autonomy, sharply criticizing views that assign blame to women for pregnancy or abortion. Their political focus is directed toward the quality of legislation and social justice.

The political focus is on national resilience and the modernization of legislation. He/She supports establishing a national requirement for new buildings to include shelter facilities for security considerations. Furthermore, he/she is spearheading the simplification of laws governing research institutions and the removal of outdated provisions, demonstrating strong support for policy-driven efficiency.

Pikhof serves as the representative of the Riigikogu Cultural Committee, focusing on handling legislative processes and conveying expert viewpoints. His main priorities include protecting children from pornography, stressing the fundamental importance of this issue based on core values, and reforming the education system—particularly vocational training—to increase its flexibility. He stresses the importance of adhering to European Union law and utilizing pan-European solutions when addressing cross-border issues.

In terms of policy, the speaker strongly emphasizes two key areas: developing the infrastructure for national culture (specifically, the Estonia Theatre extension) to enhance international standing, and improving the quality and accessibility of early childhood education. These positions are value-driven, highlighting education's role in mitigating social inequality and stressing the importance of culture both as the nation's calling card and as a matter of national security. The speaker represents the views of the Social Democrats and expects solutions to be provided by the government and the City of Tallinn.

The political focus is strongly directed towards the protection of the nation-state and demographic stability, especially regarding the education of Ukrainian war refugees, emphasizing their temporary status. Another important topic is the funding of the cultural sector and raising the salary level of cultural workers, which is associated with the contribution of the Social Democratic Party. The talking points are both value-based (integration, national catastrophe) and policy- and budget-based (cultural infrastructure, wage funds).

The speaker strongly supports the cultural policy changes concerning both the flexibility of financing the new ERR building and the establishment of social guarantees for creative professionals. This political position is value-based, emphasizing that culture and language represent the deeper purpose of maintaining the state, and that creative people deserve fair compensation and social protection. The goal is to make the system more flexible and ensure the quicker completion of cultural facilities that are important to the state. The Social Democrats support the bill.

Strong support for improving social guarantees in the cultural sector for freelance creatives, specifically by converting grants into salaries that provide social protection. Furthermore, they support increasing the funding flexibility for nationally important cultural buildings, potentially citing the ERR building as an example. The political focus is clearly policy- and value-driven, underscoring the significance of culture and social protection. Additionally, they firmly back the implementation of universal health insurance for all Estonian residents.

The political focus is on restoring the sustainability of the education system and the dignity of the teaching profession, which are viewed as critical for the survival of the state. The speaker strongly supports streamlining the school network and mitigating the educational gap caused by socio-economic background. The approach is strongly policy- and value-based, emphasizing the need to find an operating model appropriate for Estonia. A second topic on the agenda is the tightening of fine rates for violations of the Language Act.