Agenda Profile: Anti Poolamets

Draft law amending the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (536 SE) – first reading

2024-11-20

15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting

Political Position
The political position is strongly opposed to the government coalition's policies, particularly the constitutional amendment bill concerning the voting rights of non-citizens. This stance is value-driven, emphasizing security threats and criticizing the Reform Party's subservience to the Social Democrats' agenda regarding tax, budget, and social issues. The speaker views the government's actions as a threat to the state's security and sovereignty.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates expertise in national security scenarios, addressing a potential internal conflict in Russia (the fall of Putin) and the resulting consequences for Estonia (mass border crossings, the internal defense reserve). Furthermore, the speaker exhibits knowledge of coalition politics and constitutional amendments. This expertise is used to provide a realistic description of various threat scenarios.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is combative, challenging, and urgent, making extensive use of rhetorical questions ("When will you stop this?", "Are we handing over power, then?"). The speaker emphasizes emotional and alarming appeals, relying on hypothetical security scenarios (e.g., 20,000–30,000 refugees from St. Petersburg). The style is more emotional and cautionary than detailed and logical.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
There is not enough data.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main opponents are the ruling coalition, especially the Reform Party, which is being criticized for dancing to the Social Democrats’ tune on tax, budget, and social issues. The criticism is intense and policy-driven, calling into question the validity of the coalition's decisions and its internal conviction. The speaker urges the Reform Party to stop flirting with the Socs' agenda.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
The speaker suggests the possibility that the Reform Party might have to seek support from the opposition, which indicates a readiness for extra-coalition cooperation aimed at halting the government’s policies. There is absolutely no sign of any willingness to compromise regarding the ruling coalition’s policies.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is both national and international, centering on Estonia’s constitutional issues and security threats emanating from Russia. Specific international scenarios are mentioned, such as the flight from St. Petersburg.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Expresses opposition to the government's economic policy, critically mentioning the tax legislation and the budget, which are viewed as having been imposed by the Social Democrats. More detailed positions regarding economic growth or regulation are lacking, but there is clear opposition to the current fiscal policy.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
They are strongly opposed to extending voting rights to non-citizens, seeing it as a direct security threat and a potential transfer of power. The issue is framed within the context of protecting national security and sovereignty, rather than social policy, emphasizing the danger that holders of the grey passport or new Russian citizens could gain political power.

2 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The main legislative focus is the opposition to the draft act on amending the constitution (536 SE), which concerns the voting rights of non-citizens. The speaker is a strong opponent of this draft, criticizing both its timing and its security implications.

2 Speeches Analyzed