Session Profile: Riina Solman
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
2025-04-08
Political Position
The political focus is heavily directed towards social policy, particularly the issues of gender self-determination and quotas for governing bodies. The speaker is critical of these quotas, deeming them controversial, and highlights the practical problems associated with the topic of transgenderism, referencing international sports scandals. Their position is values-driven and cautious, concentrating on the potential negative social impact of these policies. They criticize the Ministry of Social Affairs' previous plans for addressing gender self-determination.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates knowledge of the Ministry of Social Affairs' previous action plans and quotes the explanatory memorandum regarding the wage gap. He relies on his authority, referencing his personal experience as the Minister of Population, to describe conflicts between minority groups and the threats made over state funding. He uses international examples (the Paris Olympic Games) to illustrate the deficiencies in social regulations.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is formal, yet its content is confrontational and provocative, posing pointed questions to the minister regarding specific regulatory solutions. The speaker employs emotionally charged examples (for instance, a boxer knocking out female athletes) and highlights their own prior ministerial experience to challenge the minister’s stance. While they begin by commending the balanced nature of the address, they quickly pivot to opposing viewpoints.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker is highly active during the plenary session, repeatedly and consecutively questioning the minister on social policy issues throughout a single sitting day. He uses the questioning period as a platform to detail his past political experiences and criticize the government's policy.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main opposition is aimed at the Ministry of Social Affairs’ policy, specifically the sidelining of the issue of gender self-determination and the prioritization of quotas over actual wage gap reduction. The criticism is intense and includes personal accusations regarding the conduct of minority groups, drawing upon the speaker’s previous experience as a minister. The speaker also criticizes the former Minister of Social Protection for having raised the topic of gender self-determination.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
The collaborative approach is constrained. It begins with polite commendation for the minister and concurrence with colleague Annely Akkermann’s stance regarding the happiness of female top executives. Subsequent communication, however, becomes confrontational, centering on disputing the minister's viewpoints and demanding concrete regulatory solutions concerning transgender issues.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is directed towards Estonian national regulation and international socio-political scandals, citing the Paris Olympic Games as an example. There is no emphasis on local or regional Estonian topics.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
The speaker advocates for the fight for equal pay within boards, prioritizing this over gender quotas, which, in their estimation, may not directly reduce the wage gap. This indicates a preference for direct pay equality measures instead of mandatory representation in governing bodies.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
The sociopolitical focus centers on issues of gender self-determination and the inclusion of transgender individuals in sports and governing bodies. The speaker is strongly critical of gender self-determination policies, citing, for example, the risk posed by a transgender athlete to female athletes and referencing conflicts occurring within minority groups.
3 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The speaker holds an oppositional stance regarding the issue of quotas for governing bodies, deeming them controversial due to transgender issues. They demand that the legislative focus be shifted toward fighting for equal pay within boards, rather than implementing quotas, and request specific regulatory solutions for the placement challenges faced by transgender individuals.
3 Speeches Analyzed