Session Profile: Evelin Poolamets
15th Estonian Parliament, 5th session, plenary session
2025-04-09
Political Position
The political position is strongly opposed to the current green transition and energy policies, demanding a temporary suspension of wind farm planning until a methodology and threshold standards for measuring infra-sound have been established. The car tax is also criticized as a measure that disproportionately burdens the poor, alongside the rushed adoption of legislation without proper impact assessments. The focus is on protecting the health and living environment of citizens, prioritizing this over industrial development.
17 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates profound expertise in wind energy technology and associated environmental impacts, particularly regarding the regulation of infra-sound and low-frequency noise. Technical terminology is employed (impulsive infra-sound, 20-Hertz base frequency, 6.5 MW+ turbines), along with references to guidelines produced via public procurement and the practices of foreign nations (Finland, Denmark, Germany). Furthermore, knowledge of banking profit margins within the Estonian market is also evident.
17 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is analytical and critical, emphasizing the seriousness and urgency of the situation (people are becoming refugees in their own homes). Logical arguments are used, pointing to the lack of regulations and the backwardness of science, supported by emotional examples (families in Saarde municipality). Strong comparisons and metaphors are employed, such as equating the effect of infrasound with carbon monoxide or radioactivity, and assessment based purely on expert opinions is criticized as "living in the Middle Ages."
17 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker is actively participating in the plenary session, both asking questions and introducing a draft bill that calls for the suspension of wind farm planning. The pattern of activity is aimed at introducing and defending a specific legislative proposal, focusing on one dominant theme (the impact of wind farms).
17 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main adversaries are the government and the developers (the "wind industry"). Criticism targets the government's foolishness or private interests (money laundering, greed), as well as the developers' manipulative studies, which cannot be trusted. The opposition is intense, focusing on policy and procedure, and accuses them of passing laws hastily and without proper impact assessments.
17 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
Insufficient data.
17 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The regional focus is Estonia-wide, but specific examples are used to illustrate the harmful effects, drawn from Saarde municipality (the Sopi-Tootsi wind farm) and Vinni municipality, where residents have been forced to leave their homes because of the wind turbines. Ida-Virumaa (East Viru County) is mentioned in a positive context as a site for oil shale energy production, which has driven the economy.
17 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic views are critical of subsidized green energy (wind power), which is considered inefficient (with an efficiency rate of 20%) and expensive for the taxpayer. Controllable energy production methods are preferred, such as oil shale, which has historically been the engine of the Estonian economy. The car tax is criticized as a measure that burdens the poor, as is the excessive profitability of the banking sector at the expense of Estonian clients.
17 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
The primary social concern revolves around public health and the living environment, emphasizing the detrimental effects of infrasound (including sleep disorders, anxiety, and headaches) and the state's inability to protect citizens from the disturbances caused by the wind energy sector. Also crucial is the issue of declining property values and the need for fair compensation, which developers ought to provide.
17 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The legislative focus is on the temporary suspension (moratorium) of processing planning applications for wind farms until modern exposure limits and measurement methodologies for infrasound and low-frequency noise are established. Support is also given to a draft bill that would help create a balance between large banks and their clients, and the rushed preparation of laws is criticized, referencing the observations made by the Chancellor of Justice.
17 Speeches Analyzed