Session Profile: Rain Epler

The political stance is strongly oppositional, focusing primarily on criticizing justice and economic policy. The speaker opposes the plan to rent out Estonian prison capacity to foreign states (such as the United Kingdom) and demands clarity regarding the grounds for incarceration, especially when it relates to political criticism. There is also strong opposition to the government's tax hikes (dubbed the "tax rally"), and skepticism is voiced concerning optimistic forecasts for economic growth. The overall political framework is a mixture of substantive policy criticism and the condemnation of the ethical conduct of government members.

The speaker demonstrates expertise in international prison policy and statistics, citing examples from the situation in the United Kingdom (where 105,000 prisoners are projected by 2028) and the Netherlands (which saw a 40% decrease in the number of prisoners over 20 years). Regarding economic topics, expert opinions are quoted on the detrimental effects of tax increases, and the situation is compared using the example of the banking tax in Germany and Lithuania. The speaker also possesses knowledge of the procedures for processing parliamentary inquiries and the analysis of transcripts.

The rhetorical style is sharply critical and combative, especially when addressing ministers. Strong emotional language and direct accusations are leveled at the opposition, calling the minister's replies "embarrassing drivel" and accusing him of "shameless lying." While the emphasis is placed on logical arguments and referencing facts (transcripts, statistics), the ultimate goal is to discredit the opponent both politically and personally.

The speaker is an active submitter of interpellations, having co-authored the inquiry submitted to the Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs on September 11th. His/Her pattern of activity includes the detailed review and analysis of transcripts and video recordings from previous sittings (last week's) in order to monitor the conduct of the ministers. He/She frequently intervenes during the sitting with questions and comments.

The primary target is the government, particularly Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi, who faces intense criticism on both personal and procedural grounds. Ligi stands accused of lying, contradicting himself, and refusing to apologize for personally insulting a colleague. Criticism is also aimed at specific government policies, such as the tax hike and the renting out of prison spaces, alongside the perception that the minister's responses lack substance.

The speaker mentions cooperation with "colleagues" when submitting the interpellation. Although the style is confrontational, he "benevolently" offers Minister Ligi a suggestion regarding his case: listen to the session recording and find the courage to apologize. There are no references to broader cross-party compromise or cooperation in shaping policy.

The focus is primarily on international topics (the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Lithuania) and national topics (the Estonian prison system, economic policy, red symbolism). The international context is used to evaluate Estonian political decisions (prison rent, the bank tax). Local or regional focus is lacking.

The economic outlook is pessimistic, raising concerns over European competitiveness and the state of the Estonian economy. There is fierce opposition to the government's tax hikes (dubbed the "tax rally"), with critics arguing that they are detrimental to the economy. Furthermore, the basis for the government's optimism regarding economic growth is being questioned. The Lithuanian bank tax is cited as an example supporting the view that such taxes are harmful.

The social themes indirectly addressed include immigration and political imprisonment, raised in connection with the renting of prison space, prompting the question of whether criticizing government policy would constitute a legal violation in Estonia. The issue of historical symbolism and security is also raised, demanding clarity on the government’s attitude towards Soviet (red) symbolism in connection with the return of a monument.

The primary focus is handling the interpellation addressed to the Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs concerning the outsourcing of prison capacity, the objective of which is to gain clarity regarding the content and terms of the negotiations. A significant part of this activity also involves monitoring the behavior and the substance of the ministers' answers during Riigikogu sessions.