According to the President of the Riigikogu, relations between Estonia and Poland are characterised by excellent cooperation, which has become even closer in recent years. Hussar pointed out that mutual parliamentary friendship groups had been formed in the parliaments of both countries, and after the meeting, he himself also became a member of the Estonia-Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group. “Poland is one of Estonia’s closest allies. We have a lot in common, and we also share the same concerns – our greatest security threat is Russia,” he said.
Hussar pointed out that after Russia’s drone attack in Poland and airspace violations in Estonia and in other European countries, it was of the utmost importance to increase the region’s deterrence and defence capabilities and the cost of aggression for Russia. “We have to do everything we can to make sure such violations would not happen again,” he underlined.
Hussar said that in order to strengthen security, cooperation between the countries bordering the Baltic Sea must be further enhanced. In this context, he mentioned the need for an amendment that would allow NATO countries to enter the airspace of other allies if necessary in response to airspace violations. “We know what we can do and what we must do,” he said.
Relations with the United States, including the importance of the US presence on NATO’s eastern flank, were discussed at the meeting. Issues related to defence industry, energy security, and infrastructure projects important for the development of the region were also spoken about.
The meeting between the President of the Riigikogu and the President of Poland was also attended by Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Kalev Stoicescu and Deputy Chairman of the Estonia-Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group Kristo Enn Vaga.
The President of Poland is visiting Estonia in connection with the Arraiolos Group meeting in Tallinn, which is attended by the heads of state of 10 European Union Member States at the invitation of President of Estonia Alar Karis.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
According to the State Budget for 2026 Bill (737 SE), initiated by the Government, the revenue of the state budget will be EUR 18.6 billion and the expenditure will be 19.6 billion. The budget foresees EUR 1.3 billion in investments. Compared to this year’s budget, revenues will grow by EUR 843 million or 4.7 per cent and expenditure by EUR 1.15 billion or 6.3 per cent. The total volume of investments will increase by 32%, or EUR 305 million, over the year.
The planned general government deficit amounts to 4.5 percent of GDP which remains within the limits of the exemption granted by the European Union for rapid increases in defence spending. Next year’s debt burden will grow by EUR 1.7 billion to 25.9% of GDP.
The government says the increase in defence spending to five per cent of GDP is the largest increase in expenditure, which will require an additional EUR 844.5 million next year. The government is planning to invest EUR 276.8 million in road infrastructure, including EUR 65 million from motor vehicle tax, and EUR 684.2 million in railways, among other things to ensure the completion of Rail Baltic by 2030.
According to the Bill, state revenues will decrease by EUR 780 million as a result of the introduction of a uniform 700-euro income tax exemption and the cancellation of the planned two-percentage-point increase in income tax. The tax burden in Estonia will fall from 36.6% to 35.2%.
Together with the tax changes, the net income of those who earn the average salary of teachers will increase by EUR 319 per month, or EUR 3,828 per year. Previous cuts in operating expenses will also apply – the total cuts in the budgets of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Culture will amount to EUR 94 million in 2026, to which the Ministry of Education and Research will add another EUR 18 million through a budget revision. EUR 28.9 million will be allocated for salary increase in the area of government of the Ministry of the Interior in 2026 which will allow front line rescue workers, police officers, rescue coordinators, and lecturers at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences to receive a salary increase of nearly ten percent.
According to forecasts, the average pension will increase by 5.4 percent, with EUR 210 million allocated for this in the budget. The motor vehicle tax reduction for families with children and the taxation of 8-9-seater M-category vehicles similarly to the N-category vehicles, which will come into effect in 2026, will reduce the amount of motor vehicle tax to be collected by EUR 14 million. To achieve budget neutrality, EUR 48 million from motor vehicle tax will be allocated to the consolidated project for national roads.
According to the bill, the subsistence allowance limit will be raised by EUR 20 to EUR 220 and the subsistence allowance limit for each minor child in a family will be raised to EUR 264 for which an additional EUR 4 million will be allocated from the budget.
Due to the end of the working hours of the sitting, the first reading of the Bill was adjourned before debate which will take place at tomorrow’s plenary sitting. The report by Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller on the implementation of the long-term national development strategy “Estonia 2035” which was on the agenda for today’s sitting was also transferred to the agenda for tomorrow’s sitting.
Mihkelson said that the purpose of the joint visit was to discuss with German decision-makers the reasons for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other provocations directed against European countries, and what countries can do together with the European Union and NATO to stop Russia. “Germany is our firm ally and partner, who has strongly supported Ukraine. At the same time, there is a need for constant information exchange and explanations among allies so that we remain united in our positions and decisions and do not lose our main focus: to help Ukraine win the war of aggression initiated by Russia,” he added.
During their visit, the international delegation will meet with the Bundestag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on European Union Affairs and Defence Committee, as well as with various parliamentary groups. They will also have meetings with Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Florian Hahn and representatives of the Ministry of Defence.
The Chairs of parliamentary committees will also participate in a round table discussion organized by the German Council on Foreign Relations and take part in a round table discussion on strengthening NATO’s presence in Lithuania at the Embassy of Lithuania.
The delegation of the Chairs of parliamentary committees includes the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees and the European Union Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Finland, and Ukraine, who are members of United4Ukraine, a global parliamentary network created for supporting Ukraine.
The Bill on Amendments to the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (694 SE), initiated by the Government, will establish in the Motor Vehicle Tax Act the basis for reducing the motor vehicle tax liability for children from this year onwards. Parents or adults with custody who have at least one 18-year-old child will automatically receive the reduction. For each child, the parent’s motor vehicle tax liability will be reduced by up to EUR 100 during a tax period, but not more than their total tax liability. If a child has several parents, each of whom also owns a vehicle, the reduction will be divided between them. The impact of the reduction in liability on taxpayers will be twofold. For 55,000 taxpayers, the applicable reduction will cover their entire motor vehicle tax liability for 2025. 97,000 taxpayers will receive a reduction, but their tax liability will exceed the amount of the reduction. The motor vehicle tax burden will be reduced by an average of over 50% for households with children, leaving families with a total of over EUR 16 million. According to the bill it will be provided that minibuses with more than seven seats will be taxed at the N-category motor vehicle tax rate. This will significantly reduce the motor vehicle tax rate for 8- or 9-seater vehicles registered in the passenger car category. The amendment will support the livelihoods of families with many children and people with disabilities who use minibuses.
Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group, Helmen Kütt from the Social Democratic Party Group, Mart Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (677 SE), initiated by the Finance Committee, will create a basis for shortening the taxation period for motor vehicle tax . The right to shorten will arise in two cases. If a vehicle is deleted from the motor register, the tax period for the current year will be shortened until such time. Tax liability will also be suspended when a vehicle is temporarily deregistered for the period during which it is declared wanted by the Police and Border Guard Board due to theft. This will bring motor vehicle tax into line with the Constitution and ensure a proportionate restriction of the fundamental right to property.
Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart from the Centre Party Group and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The aim of the Bill on Amendments to the Securities Market Act (690 SE), initiated by the Government, is to make the Estonian capital market more attractive to companies and to simplify the raising of capital in the case of small-scale securities issues. The Bill will raise the threshold for the obligation to draw up a prospectus from the current EUR 8 million to EUR 12 million which means that for public offerings of securities of up to EUR 12 million a simpler information document will be sufficient – this will reduce costs and administrative burden for companies. Based on the target group of the issue, the issuer will be able decide for itself in which language it will be appropriate to prepare the prospectus – either in a language customary in the sphere of international finance or in a language accepted by the Financial Supervision Authority. If securities are offered in Estonia, the issuer will have an obligation to translate the summary of the prospectus into Estonian. The bill will reduce the burden on investment service providers (banks, investment firms) by reducing various requirements – for example, simplification of the regulations related to the execution of client securities orders, including the elimination of certain reporting obligations and simplification of the reporting obligations for traders in certain derivative instruments. The bill will allow the Financial Supervision Authority to impose fines for violations related to market abuse that will be proportional to the company’s turnover, ensuring a fairer penalty policy. The amendments set out in the Bill are based on European Union legislation and will contribute to the competitiveness of the Estonian capital market and better access to investment for companies.
The agreement outlined in the Bill on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Estonia and the Sultanate of Oman for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and its Protocol (692 SE), initiated by the Government , follows the OECD model agreement and regulates the division of taxation rights between the two countries. It will ensure equal treatment of persons and eliminate international double taxation. According to the agreement, the source state may not tax dividends at more than 10% and in certain cases, such as in the event of at least 20% ownership, dividends will be tax-free. No more than 5% may be withheld from interest, and in some cases, such as when the recipient of the interest is another country or a central bank, it will be tax-free. For royalties, the taxation limit will be 8%. The agreement also provides for an obligation of mutual exchange of information which will help prevent tax evasion and tax fraud. As at August, Estonia has concluded the agreements for the avoidance of double taxation with 63 countries.
Minister of the Interior Igor Taro and Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas replied to the interpellations of members of the Riigikogu.
Minister of the Interior Igor Taro replied to the interpellations concerning Ukrainian refugees, especially men of mobilization age (No. 794) and concerning the transfer of criminals from Sweden to Estonia (No. 803).
Ministry of Education and Research Kristina Kallas replied to the interpellations concerning inadequate public funding for school meals and the resulting inequality (No. 797), concerning students failing basic school final examinations (No. 800), concerning the organization of basic school final exams and continuation of studies in upper secondary school (No. 801) and concerning the budget surplus of the Ministry of Education and Research (No. 805).
Riina Sikkut and Lauri Läänemets took the floor during the open microphone.
“The impact of hybrid attacks and hostile influencing extends beyond national borders,” Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Peeter Tali said. “Countries in the Baltic Sea region that share the same values must stand together and protect their citizens, and our freedom of speech, democracy, and the rule of law. Hostile influence activities, interference in elections, and cyber-attacks are particularly dangerous. The European Union must inevitably invest significantly more money in security and military defence in its next long-term budget for 2028–2034, especially if we want to protect our free and prosperous way of life.”
In addition to Tali, Edmunds Cepurītis from the Parliament of Latvia, Ruslanas Baranovas from the Parliament of Lithuania, Agnieszka Pomaska and Jacek Włosowicz from the Parliament of Poland, Saara-Sofia Sirén from the Parliament of Finland, Erik Ottoson and Matilda Ernkrans from the Parliament of Sweden, Brigitte Klintskov Jerkel and Henrik Møller from the Parliament of Denmark, and Anton Hofreiter from the Parliament of Germany participate in the meeting of the Chairs of the European Union Affairs Committees.
Before the meeting, the Chairs of the European Union Affairs Committees visited the Mine Harbor Naval Base in Tallinn yesterday. They met with Commander of the Navy, Commodore Ivo Värk and discussed the situation in the Baltic Sea, the risks associated with the activities of Russia’s shadow fleet, and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. The representatives of the national parliaments also visited the Rail Baltic Tallinn Ülemiste terminal together with Lauri Ulm, Technical Director of Rail Baltic Estonia.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
The central figure of the monograph by Eva Piirimäe, Professor of Political Theory at The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, is Johann Gottfried Herder who founded the modern disciplines of philosophical anthropology and cultural history, including research into popular culture. He is also remembered as a fierce critic of colonialism and imperialism. “Herder and Enlightenment Politics” provides a radically new interpretation of Herder’s political thought, situating his ideas in Enlightenment debates on modern patriotism, commerce and peace. Herder probed the foundations of modern liberty, community and peace, developing a distinctive understanding of human self-determination, natural sociability and modern patriotism as well as advocating a vision of Europe as a commercially and culturally interconnected community of peoples.
Piirimäe received her PhD from University of Cambridge in 2006. She has been a visiting scholar and associate professor at Harvard and Yale Universities. Piirimäe’s monograph “Herder and Enlightenment Politics” (Cambridge University Press, 2023) has received several international awards, most importantly the István Hont Book Prize.
The Baltic Assembly Prize in the Arts went to the Latvian conductor Kaspars Putniņš for the Latvian Radio Choir concert programme “The Dream Stream”. The Prize in Literature was awarded to the Lithuanian poet, essayist, critic, and translator Tomas Andrius Venclova for his latest collection of poetry “Už Onos ir Bernardinų”.
The Baltic Assembly Prize consists of a monetary prize, a certificate, and a statuette, which are presented every year at the Baltic Assembly session. This year, the Prize Awarding Ceremony will take place during the 44th Session of the Baltic Assembly on 13 November in Riga. The Jury was made up of artists and experts from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: Svetlana Grigorjeva, Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, Kadri Simm, Donata Mitaitė, Ramutė Rachlevičiūtė, Valdemaras Razumas, Ieva Kolmane, Dace Bluķe, Maija Kūle.
The Baltic Assembly has been awarding the Prizes in literature, the arts, and science since 1994. The aim of the prizes is to promote the development of these fields in the Baltic States.
Hussar expressed his satisfaction with the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Moldova and acknowledged the firm desire of the people of Moldova to continue on the European path. “These elections were extremely important for Moldova. You have chosen your path, and the way you did it is a good example to everyone on how to resist Russia’s influence activities,” he said during a video meeting with his colleague.
Hussar confirmed that Estonia would continue to support Moldova both politically and practically. “You have our full support. We will support you on your path to the European Union as a current candidate country and a future member state,” he said, calling on Moldova to proceed with the reforms as quickly as possible. “We will be happy to share our accession experience. We will also continue our development and defence cooperation and support Moldova in the development of e-governance.”
Hussar also condemned Russia’s continued influence operations, spreading of misinformation, and repeated attempts to interfere in the elections in Moldova.
During their video meeting, the Speakers also discussed the situation in Transnistria and further cooperation in responding to threats from Russia.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
In a session on security policy, Peeter Tali, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee, said that defense preparedness is a common interest of Europe. “We must stop buying natural gas and oil from Russia in order not to finance Russia’s war in Ukraine and hybrid activities against ourselves. We must stop the activities of the shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea, which also poses a major environmental threat, and use Russia’s frozen assets to compensate for war damages in Ukraine,” said Tali.
In a session on the EU’s position in the global economy, Tali stated that the European law-making process needs reform, including ensuring business-friendly rules, reducing reporting requirements, and making cross-border digital governance the norm. He stressed that Europe must be more independent and not depend on authoritarian regimes and third countries in its supply chains.
Annely Akkermann, Chair of the Finance Committee, spoke in a session that focused on European fiscal rules and their sustainability in the current geopolitical situation. “Well-designed and evidence-based fiscal rules are the cornerstone of the sustainability of the European Union,” said Akkermann. “Clear rules are the path to competitive growth, defence capability, and social cohesion. We need to keep the budget on track, but at the same time ensure flexibility to be ready to respond to the unexpected.”
Member of the Finance Committee Riina Sikkut raised the question of whether Member States are ready to accept that the European Defence Mechanism will shape the European Union’s defence policy. “Perhaps this would motivate Member States, more distant from Moscow, to contribute or participate more, but are we ready to shape defence policy this way?” Sikkut added, pointing out that any defence policy initiative must be subject to strict rules, similar to the European Stability Mechanism, which sets very clear criteria for the Member States.
The purpose of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination, and Governance is to foster cooperation among parliaments within the framework of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination, and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. The Conference was established in 2013 at the Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments (EUSC).
The European Parliament simulation will take place in the session hall of the Riigikogu between 9.45 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. and can be followed online.
The young participants have been divided into six committees that have been discussing important topics for the society since last Friday. Every committee has drafted a resolution to resolve an issue they have previously identified, and will be defending it in front of the plenary assembly today.
The topics of resolutions include the inadequate transport infrastructure in Eastern Europe, EU-USA relations, hight cost of living and increased prices, development of defence industry, and new challenges to education posed by AI.
While drafting the resolutions, the students got to met local decision makers, who this year included MEP Urmas Paet, Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller, and Members of the Riigikogu Riina Solman, Raimond Kaljulaid, Eerik-Niiles Kross, and Martin Helme. The simulation was opened by the Minister of Energy and the Environment Andres Sutt.
For the first time, the programme includes a media team tasked with writing news articles, filming video stories, reporting on the work of the delegates, and organising a press conference. Nearly ten students get the chance to embody journalists from news outlets such as ERR, CNN, BBC, Politico, Fox News, or the Guardian.
The students who stand out the most will be able to take part in the Estonian delegations to the international and Baltic Sea countries’ model European Parliaments. The first international simulation with Estonian participants will take place soon, in March 2026 in Hungary.
European Parliament simulations have been organised in the session hall of the Riigikogu since 2023.
Photos (the photo gallery is updated throughout the day, author: Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
