Agenda Profile: Helir-Valdor Seeder

Strong opposition to the government's tax policy, particularly the introduction of the car tax and amendments to the income tax law, which are deemed disproportionate and punitive toward rural regions. The political focus is centered on the unfairness of regional policy and the organization of public transport, with critics arguing that it constitutes "reverse regional policy." These positions are strongly value-driven, emphasizing the protection of rural inhabitants and families with children.

The speaker demonstrates detailed knowledge concerning the funding and organization of public transport, citing specific data on train frequency (for instance, 60 trains on the western route versus 5 heading to Viljandi) and the number of stops. Special emphasis is placed on the complexity of subsidizing student transport and the financial burden placed on local municipalities (such as Põhja-Sakala and Mulgi municipality) in sparsely populated areas. Furthermore, the speaker is familiar with the government's reform documents ("Mobility Reform," "Public Transport Reform") and their respective funding models (reserve fund versus base funding).

The tone is critical, sharp, and at times accusatory, particularly concerning the government's tax and regional policies. The author employs both logical arguments (such as train speed limitations caused by frequent stops) and emotional language, accusing the government of "driving rural residents mad and fooling them" with unrealistic promises (like demand-based transport). Strong numerical comparisons (740 million vs 60 million) are used to underscore the injustice of the government's compromise.

The speaker is addressing the Riigikogu during an interpellation, utilizing this platform to broadly criticize the government's tax and regional policies. The speaker references earlier topics (the Mobility Reform, the injustice surrounding student transport), which highlights the consistent manner in which these issues are being raised.

The primary criticism is aimed at the government and its tax policy, specifically the car tax and the income tax reform. Separately, the Social Democrats (SDE) are being criticized for the tax compromise, with claims that they were "viciously tricked" in a deal that allocated only 60 million euros to local municipalities. The criticism is policy-driven and intense, casting doubt on the feasibility of the government's promises.

There is no evidence of cooperation or willingness to compromise; the speech focuses on sharply criticizing the government's policy and emphasizing its injustice.

A very strong regional focus, which highlights the unequal treatment of peripheral regions (Antsla, Põlva, Viljandi, scattered settlements) compared to the capital (Tallinn). Specific attention is drawn to the Viljandi County municipalities (Põhja-Sakala, Viljandi Rural Municipality, Mulgi Rural Municipality) and the Saaremaa experiment involving demand-responsive transport. It is emphasized that regional policy must take into account the road conditions and transport needs of scattered settlements.

The speaker opposes the new taxes (the car tax) and the income tax reform that abolished the non-taxable minimum, deeming them disproportionate and burdensome to rural areas. He calls for incentives for personal transport and criticizes the government's fiscal compromise, which collects 740 million through taxes but allocates only 60 million to the revenue base of local municipalities.

Focuses on social justice in a regional context, emphasizing that the car tax disproportionately penalizes families with children and residents of sparsely populated areas. It also highlights the unfair financing of student transportation, noting that local municipalities in rural areas are forced to cover these costs themselves.

The focus is on criticizing existing laws (the car tax, the income tax law) and government reform plans (the public transport reform). It demands the integration of student transport into the nationally subsidized public transport network to alleviate the burden on local governments.