By Months: Kristina Šmigun-Vähi
Total Months: 14
Fully Profiled: 14
10.2025
4 Speeches
The legislative focus is aimed at improving the procedural quality of a specific draft bill. The priorities include clearly defining responsibility and adding penalties to compel agencies to process documents in a timely manner.
06.2025
4 Speeches
The legislative focus is on amending the Accounting Act, the goal of which is to reduce bureaucracy and defer the obligation for sustainability reporting. As a representative of the leading committee, the speaker is an active supporter and coordinator of the process, ensuring the rapid advancement of the draft bill to the second and third readings.
05.2025
3 Speeches
The legislative focus is currently on the swift handling of Draft Bill 600 SE to guarantee legal certainty for entrepreneurs, notwithstanding a subsequent, identically-themed draft bill from the Ministry of Finance. The speaker, who leads the work of the Economic Affairs Committee, supports concluding the first reading and maintaining readiness for technical amendments.
04.2025
4 Speeches
The legislative focus is directed toward implementing policies and developing measures, particularly concerning outreach and training (e.g., advance directives/end-of-life wishes, training for doctors). The objective is to ensure that young athletes have the necessary support and a sense of social security, and to resolve the ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals.
02.2025
2 Speeches
The legislative focus is aimed at directing the activities of the Ministry of Education and Research to prioritize physical activity for children and issue corresponding guidelines to schools. The speaker supports the Ministry of Culture's Fundamentals of Sports Policy until 2030, which aims to increase the proportion of Estonians who are regularly physically active. He/She is making a specific policy proposal: that one hour of fresh air activity take place every school day, even within the context of other subjects.
12.2024
1 Speeches
The legislative focus is on Draft Bill 515, the Act amending the Customs Act, the processing of which the speaker is leading on behalf of the Economic Affairs Committee. The objective is to ensure the swift and consensual passage of the bill during the second and third readings in December. The priority is the efficiency of the legislative process and supporting the amendments submitted by the ministries.
10.2024
5 Speeches
The legislative focus is currently on processing Draft Law 515, which proposes amendments to the Customs Act. The primary goal of this bill is to harmonize Estonia’s customs system with that of the European Union. Key priorities include increasing the rates of fines, formalizing the legal use of uniforms by the Tax and Customs Board, and transposing relevant EU regulations. The speaker is both a representative and a supporter of the lead committee handling this draft legislation.
09.2024
1 Speeches
The focus is on legal interpretation and the compliance of institutional practices (decisions made by kindergartens) with children's rights, rather than initiating specific legislative bills. This is a matter concerning oversight and the jurisdiction of the Chancellor of Justice.
06.2024
2 Speeches
The legislative focus is currently on removing administrative and regulatory barriers that hinder foreign companies from opening bank accounts. The priority is to implement changes that ensure Estonia delivers on its digital society promises concerning the ease of doing business.
05.2024
3 Speeches
The legislative focus is currently on reorganizing the Ministry of Culture's operational support within the sports sector, specifically by directing funds to county sports associations starting in 2024. The speaker is an advocate for this policy, stressing that the change is necessary to increase the influence and impact of local activities and organizations.
04.2024
4 Speeches
The legislative focus is on implementing and evaluating existing long-term policy documents (e.g., Sports Policy 2030). Key priorities also include establishing a waste management framework and clarifying the distribution of responsibilities among ministries in emergency situations, particularly concerning the coordinating role of the Ministry of the Interior.
03.2024
3 Speeches
The speaker is focusing on initiating new political proposals, rather than supporting existing bills. Key initiatives include integrating the teaching of responsibility into school education, banning sugary drinks in schools, and allowing small energy producers access to the market. They also want to open a discussion about raising the health insurance tax rate.
02.2024
1 Speeches
The legislative focus is on the implementation of the green transition and assessing its impact on industry. The policy maker acts as an information gatherer to understand industry feedback regarding current or proposed regulations.
01.2024
2 Speeches
The legislative focus is currently on the necessity of amending statutory provisions in the Riigikogu to clarify the permitted actions and language of teachers and coaches. The objective is to shield educational staff from excessive sensitivity and legal requirements, providing them with clarity regarding what they are permitted to say.