By Agendas: Aivar Sõerd

Total Agendas: 34

Fully Profiled: 34

All Categories Political Position Topic Expertise Rhetorical Style Activity Patterns Opposition Stance Collaboration Style Regional Focus Economic Views Social Issues Legislative Focus
2025-10-15
Discussion of the state issue of significant national importance initiated by the Committee on European Union Affairs: "Estonia's Choices and Opportunities in the European Union's 2028–2034 Long-Term Budget"

The 15th Riigikogu, VI Session, Plenary Sitting

The political position is strongly geared towards a reassessment of the European Union’s budget priorities. The speaker criticizes the continued over-prioritization of climate measures (including ESG reports and green awareness training), deeming them to be of questionable value. They call for the focus to be shifted towards security, innovation, and the competitiveness of the European Union, prioritizing a results-based approach.
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2025-10-13
First reading of the Draft Act on the Amendment of the Act on Simplified Taxation of Business Income and the Income Tax Act, and the Act on the Repeal of the Security Tax Act and the Amendment of the Income Tax Act (Bill 734 SE)

15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting

The political focus is centered on maintaining and enhancing the economy's competitiveness, strongly backing Bill 734 SE, which prevents an income tax hike. This stance has been forcefully articulated, underscoring the critical necessity of the proposed legislation for both economic development and the financial well-being of the populace. Above all, this is a results-driven position that emphasizes the need for economic stimulus.
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2025-10-09
Discussion of the Crucial National Issue 'The Future of the Estonian Economy'

15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting

The political focus is on economic performance, specifically labor productivity and competitiveness. The speaker highlights the worrying decline in productivity observed between 2021 and 2023 and demands a data-driven explanation from the government (or the presenter) regarding whether this trend is continuing or changing. This position is clearly results-oriented and centered on the successful fulfillment of national development plans.
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2025-10-08
First Reading of the Draft Act on Amendments to the Planning Act and Other Related Acts (683 SE)

The 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting

The political position is moderately critical of the provision in the draft Planning Act (683 SE) concerning the automatic lapsing of planning decisions. The speaker stresses that this provision is "severe" and could constitute an infringement upon property rights, especially considering the time and money invested in obtaining the planning decision. The focus is policy- and value-driven, aimed at protecting private property rights against regulatory pressure.
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2025-10-08
Continuation of the first reading of the Draft Law on the State Budget for 2026 (737 SE)

The 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting

The political stance centers on strong criticism of the budgetary procedure and the implementation of cuts. The speaker objects to the ministries' practice of using traditional cost budgeting when formulating these cuts, despite the fact that they are operating under an activity-based budget. This is clearly a procedural and policy-based objection that requires the government to strictly adhere to the established methodology when making budgetary decisions.
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2025-10-06
First Reading of the Draft Act on Amendments to the Securities Market Act (690 SE)

The 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting

The political position expresses strong support for the draft amendment to the Securities Market Act (690 SE), the primary goal of which is the diversification of the Estonian financial market and the reduction of banking dominance. The focus lies on the political balance between investor protection and the easing of administrative burden, specifically supporting the raising of the issuance threshold to 12 million euros. The overall approach is distinctly policy- and regulation-driven, concentrating on economic objectives.
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2025-09-24
Draft law amending the Securities Market Act and, as a consequence, amending other laws (regulation of derivatives and repo transactions) – second reading

Fifteenth Riigikogu, sixth sitting, plenary sitting.

The political position is directed towards the technical streamlining of financial regulation, supporting the alignment of derivatives and repo transaction regulation with international standards. The position is moderate and procedure-based, emphasizing the consensus decisions made by the steering committee. Although the core content of the draft bill is strongly supported, attention is also being paid to ancillary issues, such as the valuation of real estate serving as collateral for consumer credit agreements.
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2025-09-18
Bank of Estonia 2024 Report

15th Estonian Parliament, 6th sitting, plenary session.

The most salient issue is the investment strategy and reserve management of the Bank of Estonia. The political position is critical of the central bank’s low gold weighting, stressing the necessity of hedging the risks associated with dollar-denominated assets. This is a performance-driven political framework that calls into question the current asset allocation.
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2025-06-11
Second reading of the draft law on the state's supplementary budget for 2025 (651 SE)

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting

The political position is strongly focused on the scrutiny of budgetary procedures and transparency. The speaker questions the government's proposal to allocate 1.5–2 million euros to the development of SKAIS, arguing that the savings indicated as the funding source, derived from the Ministry of Social Affairs' operating costs, do not comply with the program-based structure of the budget. The stance is policy-driven and critical, emphasizing the resolution of fiscal discrepancies.
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2025-06-05
Discussion of the significant national issue initiated by the Economics Committee: "How to increase productivity in the Estonian economy?"

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session.

The political focus is on the nation's economic performance and meeting productivity targets. The speaker adopts a critical, results-oriented approach, highlighting the necessity of monitoring strategic indicators such as the "Estonia 2035" 120% goal. They criticize the previous downward trend and demand accountability regarding the knowledge of the data.
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2025-05-20
Draft law amending the Securities Market Act and, as a consequence, amending other laws (regulation of derivatives and repo transactions) - first reading

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting

The political focus is on enhancing the competitiveness of the economic environment and aligning financial regulation with international best practices. The core objectives of the draft bill (633 SE) are strongly supported, with emphasis placed on its positive effect on entrepreneurs' access to international markets. One parliamentarian, however, expressed caution regarding the transition to a statistical model for real estate valuation, citing the unique characteristics of the Estonian market and its scattered settlement patterns. The overall framing is clearly policy-driven and results-oriented.
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2025-05-07
Draft law amending the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Tax Act and the Value Added Tax Act (594 SE) – First Reading

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting

Strong opposition to Draft Bill 594 SE, which concerns the reduction of excise and VAT, as it is allegedly based on false assumptions regarding the sharp increase in energy prices. The stance is both policy-driven and fact-based, emphasizing that oil and gas prices are actually in steep decline, returning to 2021 levels. Criticism is directed at the conceptual foundation of the bill and the lack of financial coverage.
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2025-05-06
The Minister of Finance's 2025 presentation on the implementation of the state's long-term strategy "Estonia 2035" (including an overview of the development directions of the public service in 2024)

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session

The political focus is on achieving the objectives of the country's long-term strategy, "Estonia 2035," particularly concerning labor productivity compared to the EU average. The speaker is critical of the current economic trajectory, stressing that the growth in wealth driven by inflation is merely apparent, and the deviation from the target is alarming. This stance is strongly results-oriented and demands accountability from the government for improving the investment climate.
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2025-04-23
First reading of the draft resolution of the Riigikogu "Appointment of Members of the Bank of Estonia Supervisory Board from Members of the Riigikogu" (629 OE)

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session

The political stance centers on the procedural correctness and legal compliance surrounding the replacement of members of the Council of the Bank of Estonia. The speaker strongly advocates for the passage of draft bill 629 OE, stressing that this constitutes a statutory requirement (Bank of Estonia Act, Section 8, Subsection 7). The approach is strictly procedural and founded upon legal norms, intended to guarantee the full complement of the institution's council.
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2025-04-17
Draft Law Amending the Value Added Tax Act (593 SE) – First Reading

15th Estonian Parliament, 5th session, plenary session

The political focus is on evaluating the actions and the fulfillment of promises made by the opposition party (EKRE) in the realm of tax policy during their previous term in government. The speaker questions the opponents' actual commitment to reducing the VAT on foodstuffs, demanding concrete evidence of their past actions. The framing is clearly results-oriented, highlighting the opposition's inaction during the period when they held the levers of tax policy.
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2025-04-09
Draft law amending the Income Tax Act (566 SE) – First Reading

15th Estonian Parliament, 5th session, plenary session

Strong opposition has emerged to the draft bill amending the Income Tax Act (566 SE), which concerns the taxation of the banking sector. The opposition is rooted in both policy and procedure, emphasizing the bill’s economic timing (due to the delayed drop in Euribor) and constitutional issues regarding retroactive taxation. The political framework is aimed at maintaining a stable and predictable tax environment.
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2025-02-18
Draft resolution "Proposal to the Republic of Estonia's Government Regarding the Imposition of a Temporary Solidarity Tax on the Banking Sector" (535 OE) – First Reading

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting

The political stance is strongly opposed to the temporary 50% solidarity tax on the banking sector initiated by the Centre Party. This position is policy-based, stressing the need for a transparent and predictable tax system that supports business and investment. The speaker emphasizes that banks are already significant taxpayers and warns that extraordinary taxation could scare off investors, referencing the relocation of the SEB headquarters to Estonia.
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2025-01-16
Draft law amending the State Budget Act (520 SE) - First Reading

15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session

The political position is strongly critical of the draft amendment to the State Budget Act (520 SE), focusing on its lack of transparency and vague objectives. Specifically, it is stressed that the draft bill fails to address concrete issues on the revenue side and does not improve the itemization of expenditures (such as operating costs), which remain too broadly defined. The position is explicitly policy- and performance-based, demanding clarification of the draft law's underlying logic and expected impact.
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2024-12-04
Second reading of the draft resolution "Approval of the Consolidated Financial Report of the State for the 2023 Financial Year" (503 OE)

15th Estonian Parliament, 4th session, plenary sitting

The political position is twofold: there is support for confirming the accounting section of the 2023 annual report, as the National Audit Office deems it correct. At the same time, the current budget framework is moderately criticized. This framework allows ministers to make large reallocations (e.g., 10 million euros) without the approval of the Riigikogu (Parliament), which is considered potentially unconstitutional. The focus is heavily centered on establishing a procedural and results-based framework.
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2024-12-04
Draft law amending the 2024 State Budget Act (517 SE) – third reading

15th Estonian Parliament, 4th session, plenary sitting

The political position heavily focuses on deficiencies in budget transparency and oversight. The speaker criticizes the practice of ministries reallocating large sums of money (e.g., 10 million euros in the Ministry of Education) without the approval of the Riigikogu (Parliament). This is a strong, procedure-based stance advocating for increased government accountability, emphasizing that critical information only reaches Parliament via the press.
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2024-11-13
Draft law amending the State Budget Act (511 SE) - Second Reading

15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session.

The politician expresses strong opposition to the current activity-based budget, stressing its inefficiency, artificial metrics, and the lack of connection to actual expenditures. His position is strongly policy-driven and results-oriented, demanding that the budget be established as law in its traditional cost- and resource-based format. He criticizes the government's goal of merely improving the budget, proposing instead a structural change where the activity-based aspect would serve only as an informative supplement.
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2024-11-06
Overview of the Use and Preservation of State Property in 2023–2024. Five Years of Activity-Based State Budget: Results of the Reform and Necessary Further Decisions

15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting

The speaker adopts a strong, results-oriented stance, declaring the five-year activity-based budget reform a complete failure. The primary focus is on the policy's ineffectiveness, the weak link between performance data and practical application, and the waste of taxpayer money. This position is clearly aimed at assessing the system's functionality and overall performance.
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2024-11-06
First reading of the draft resolution "Approval of the consolidated annual report of the state for the 2023 financial year" (503 OE)

15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting

The political stance centers on Riigikogu procedures and the deliberation of the state's 2023 consolidated annual financial report. The speaker highlights the committee's consensus decisions concerning the inclusion of the draft bill on the agenda and the conclusion of the first reading, thus demonstrating support for the smooth continuation of the process. The approach is outcome-based, focusing on the content of the report and the performance indicators detailed in the accompanying activity report.
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2024-11-06
Draft law amending the Income Tax Act and the Mandatory Pension Act (434 SE) - Second Reading

15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting

The speaker strongly supports modernizing the Income Tax Act and making the investment account framework more flexible by expanding the list of permitted financial assets to include covered bonds, regulated crowdfunding, and crypto assets. The political focus is pragmatic and aimed at resolving specific bottlenecks within the financial sector, while simultaneously guaranteeing the option of tax deferral. A further objective of the draft bill is to eliminate taxation discrepancies that have become apparent in practice.
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2024-10-22
Draft resolution "Proposal to the Republic of Estonia's Government regarding the introduction of a temporary solidarity tax on the banking sector" (487 OE) – first reading

15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session

The political stance is one of strong opposition to the temporary solidarity tax on the banking sector (487 OE). This position is policy-driven, emphasizing that taxation based on temporary favorable market conditions is improper, and the draft legislation is hopelessly late, given that the banking sector's favorable economic cycle has passed and Euribor is falling. Policymaking stresses the importance of maintaining stability and the confidence of foreign investors.
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2024-09-16
2024 Report by the Minister of the Interior on the Implementation of the State's Long-Term Development Strategy "Estonia 2035"

The 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting.

The political position strongly emphasizes cost savings within state institutions and strict budget discipline. Specifically, the relocation of the Ministry of the Interior to more modest premises is supported in order to achieve significant savings. The focus is on monitoring the execution of previous budget decisions, which represents a clear results-oriented approach.
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2024-07-29
Second Reading of the Bill to Amend the Income Tax Act (443 SE)

15th Riigikogu, extraordinary session of the Riigikogu

The political focus is on the criteria for state stimulation and the fair financing of local government (LG) investments. The speaker questions and criticizes the opposition drawn between investments made by "rich" and "poorer" municipalities, demanding a clear political justification for why one type of investment is considered superior to another. The framing of the issue is strongly policy-driven, centering on the logic of state intervention into the autonomy of local governments.
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2024-06-06
First reading of the Draft Act on the Amendment of the Income Tax Act and the Funded Pensions Act (Bill 434 SE)

15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting

The political position is critical of the results of the second pillar mandatory pension reform, highlighting the low number of investment accounts (under 5,000) compared to the volume of those who exited the pillar (over 230,000). In the context of Draft Bill 434 SE, the speaker, as a representative of the Finance Committee, fulfills a neutral and procedural role, focusing on the administration of the legislation. The criticism is directed at the policy's effectiveness, not its underlying values.
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2024-05-30
Discussion of the nationally important issue: "How can the state avoid living in debt?"

15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary sitting

The speaker is focusing on a matter of critical national importance, expressing deep concern over the rapid growth of Estonia's general government debt, which places it at the top of negative trends when compared to other Eurozone countries. His/Her position is evidence-based, stressing the necessity of analyzing and addressing the increasing national debt burden while drawing comparisons between Estonia and other European nations. The political focus is squarely on fiscal responsibility.
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2024-05-08
First Reading of the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu "Making a Proposal to the Government of the Republic Regarding the Imposition of a Temporary Solidarity Tax on the Banking Sector" (367 OE)

15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session.

The political position is moderately skeptical regarding the proposal (the banking sector solidarity tax), emphasizing that the period of banks' extraordinary profits is coming to an end and that extraordinary market conditions are also arising in other unregulated sectors. The framework is based on economic policy and focuses on the fairness and timing of taxation, referencing the cyclical nature of the market. It emphasizes that controlling inflation through the central bank's interest rate policy has been an effective lever.
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2024-05-02
Continuation of the first reading of the Bill on the Tax on Sweetened Beverages (418 SE)

15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session

The political stance expresses strong opposition to the proposed sugary drink tax bill, an opposition primarily framed by concerns over the bill's projected financial outcomes and overall feasibility. It is stressed that the projected revenue is likely overestimated (citing an analysis of 10–15 million euros) while administrative costs are underestimated, suggesting that the opposition is results-driven. This position calls for clarification regarding the permanent costs and staffing levels of the Tax and Customs Board.
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2024-03-19
The 2024 Report by the Minister of Health on the implementation of the state's long-term development strategy "Estonia 2035"

15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session

The political stance is highly critical of the current healthcare funding model, stressing that simply injecting more money will not solve the systemic issues. The primary focus is on performance and the necessity of changing operational models, particularly within the general practitioner system. The speaker explicitly supports bringing private funding into healthcare to prevent financial shortfalls.
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2024-03-06
First reading of the Draft Act (379 SE) on the Amendment of the Tax Information Exchange Act, the Taxation Procedure Act, and the Income Tax Act.

15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary session

The political focus is on the technical implementation of the global minimum tax directive (Pillar Two). The position is cautious and policy-driven, emphasizing the need to avoid the risk of tax revenue leakage to other countries, especially concerning the use of exemptions and the rate of dividend distributions. The main concern is whether the solution chosen by Estonia ensures compliance with the effective 15% minimum tax rate.
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2024-01-24
Review of the Implementation of the "Fundamentals of Legislation Policy until 2030" in 2022

15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session

The political stance is strongly aimed against the additional administrative burden and the creation of unnecessary positions that accompany the transposition of European Union legislation. This stance is results-oriented, emphasizing the necessity of avoiding bureaucracy for activities that are not relevant in Estonia. The speaker considers this a serious issue that requires immediate resolution.
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