By Plenary Sessions: Urmas Reinsalu

Not enough data

Social issues are addressed solely within the context of the budget, noting that social benefits constitute the largest volume expenditure item, which is defined by law. The actual reduction of the budget for the education and culture sector is also mentioned, despite the absence of a general decline in government expenditure.

The social focus is centered on people’s ability to cope and the decline in real income, particularly concerning families with children, the elderly, and low-income individuals who are forced to make "difficult, unavoidable choices." [The speaker/text] criticizes the government's decision to assign the Ministry of Economic Affairs the task of dealing with gender equality, viewing it as irrelevant bureaucratic expansion during an economic recession.

The social focus is on the well-being of the elderly, families with children, and low-income individuals—those who will be hit hardest by the tax increases. Special emphasis is placed on the unfair taxation of pensioners, citing the dismantling of the income tax exemption system for the average pension and the upcoming additional 2% taxation.

Not enough data.

The main social issues are children's rights, the well-being of families, and the demographic crisis, all of which require prioritizing the interests of children. There is strong opposition to making family benefits selective and to cutting funding for hobby education. Furthermore, the government's policy regarding the voting rights of citizens of the aggressor state and the exceptional granting of citizenship to individuals who have committed crimes is being criticized.

The speaker expresses concern over the multiplication of fees for social and healthcare services, which places the burden on the shoulders of those needing assistance. They criticize the government’s lack of dialogue with stakeholders in the social sector. In the field of education, there is sharp criticism regarding the chaotic mismanagement of the 10 million euro distribution and the situation that led to the teachers’ strike.