Agenda Profile: Henn Põlluaas
An inquiry regarding internet services offered to people in Estonia (no. 646)
2024-10-07
15th Estonian Parliament, 4th session, plenary session
Political Position
The political position centers on the high cost of internet services, despite extensive state investments. The speaker is highly critical of the fact that taxpayer money (approximately 170 million euros) has not resulted in lower service prices. The framing of the issue is results-oriented, demanding accountability for the use of public funds.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates knowledge of the history of financing telecommunications infrastructure, highlighting specific data on state investments (70 million euros between 2009 and 2018, and 100 million euros allocated for the last mile). Technical terms such as "broadband network" and "last mile" are used, which indicates expertise in the details of the sector.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is direct, logical, and skeptical, presenting facts about state subsidies that contradict the minister’s explanations. The speaker employs a rhetorical question ("So how can that possibly be expensive for telecom companies..."), to highlight the contradiction between the telecom companies' costs and the taxpayer's contribution. The tone is formal, yet demanding.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
Insufficient data.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The criticism is directed at telecom companies, who are allegedly keeping prices high despite extensive state funding for infrastructure. The minister is also indirectly criticized, as his explanations for the reasons behind the high prices are deemed insufficient and contradictory.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
Insufficient data.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is nationwide, addressing the development of the broadband network throughout Estonia. The issue of sparsely populated areas is mentioned, which points to concerns regarding the availability and cost of internet services in rural areas.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic perspectives stress the need to protect taxpayers' interests and ensure the effectiveness of public investments (subsidies). There is a demand that public funds must lead to lower service prices, which calls into question the legitimacy of telecom companies' pricing structures.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
The availability and cost of internet services are treated as a social problem that directly affects Estonian residents ("our people"). The goal is to ensure affordable services for residents, especially in conditions of sparse settlement.
1 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The focus is on questions of policy implementation and accountability (interpellation), rather than the initiation of specific draft legislation. Attention is centered on analyzing the results of previous infrastructure financing decisions and their impact on market prices.
1 Speeches Analyzed