Agenda Profile: Henn Põlluaas

The most important topic concerns the restriction of suffrage in local elections, with the speaker demanding that voting rights be granted exclusively to Estonian citizens (plus EU citizens). The speaker strongly opposes the coalition’s plan to allow stateless residents (or "grey passport holders") to retain their voting rights and to enshrine this in the constitution, seeing this as a direct threat to national security and the constitutional order. This position is strongly value-based, emphasizing the preservation of the Estonian nation, language, and culture. Politically, the stance is fiercely oppositional to the coalition’s proposed solution, which is deemed unacceptable and weakening to the nation-state.

The speaker demonstrates expertise in the fields of electoral and constitutional law, and security policy, particularly concerning the status of third-country nationals and stateless persons. He relies on data from a Ministry of Defence study regarding the attitudes of non-citizens (support for Putin, opposition to NATO) and refers to international precedents (or the lack thereof) in Europe. He also addresses the impact of EU rules on issuing identity documents to illegal immigrants.

The rhetorical style is sharp, cautionary, and highly aggressive towards the coalition, employing strong negative expressions ("steamroller politics," "pro-Russian blackmail," "political spin"). The speaker balances logical arguments (a change in the constitutional paradigm) with emotional warnings (a threat to the foundations of statehood, voting rights for illegal immigrants). The tone is urgent, emphasizing that it is "high time" to draw a line under the issue.

No data available.

The main adversaries are the coalition parties (the SDE, the Reform Party, Eesti 200). They face criticism both for their political decisions (such as retaining voting rights for "grey passport holders") and their procedural tactics ("steamroller politics," refusing to cooperate). The Social Democrats are directly accused of "clearly pro-Russian blackmail," and the Reform Party is accused of capitulating to it. The criticism is intense and questions the opponents' real motives, implying that the coalition's objective might be to ensure the constitutional amendment fails.

The speaker stresses the necessity of cross-party cooperation on issues of national importance, particularly concerning constitutional amendments, noting that the ruling coalition has excluded this possibility. Isamaa supports the further processing of Draft Bill 530, provided that a genuine discussion takes place and they succeed in finding a common solution free of political maneuvering. The readiness to cooperate is therefore conditional and aimed at modifying the proposed solution.

The focus is clearly on national security, the integrity of the constitution, and the geopolitical situation (the war in Ukraine, Russian aggression, NATO membership). The international context is also mentioned in connection with illegal immigration and the rising number of stateless persons in the Western world. There are no references to specific local or regional issues within Estonia.

There is no data available, apart from an indication that most grey passport holders believe that Estonian defense spending should be reduced.

The main social issue is the question of stateless persons and immigration, which is strictly addressed within the context of security and the preservation of statehood. The speaker warns that enshrining the status of "grey passport holders" in the constitution would open the door to granting voting rights even to illegal immigrants from Africa, Asia, or elsewhere. It is emphasized that the attitudes held by stateless persons (support for Putin, opposition to NATO) represent a clear threat to Estonia.

The primary legislative focus is on Draft Bill 530 SE, which proposes amendments to the Local Government Council Election Act. This bill would remove the right to vote from Russian citizens, though it is widely viewed as only a partial solution. The ultimate objective is to amend the Constitution to ensure that suffrage is restricted solely to Estonian citizens. The speaker supports the further deliberation of this draft legislation so that necessary changes can be made.