ESTONIA

The Minister of the Interior gave an overview of the improvement of crisis preparedness and the creation of a safe living environment

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Riigikogu received an overview of the implementation of the long-term national development strategy “Estonia 2035”.

Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets who made a report said in his report that a country was only as strong as its people. “And we all have a responsibility to provide a sense of security for the people of Estonia, and to do so in a variety of ways. A big part of ensuring a sense of security is the need to ensure a strong and functioning internal security network. This is what we are striving for in the implementation of the ‘Estonia 2035’ strategy,” explained the Minister of the Interior.

According to him, we all seem to understand that the biggest factor affecting our internal security continues to be the actions of our aggressive eastern neighbour. While Ukraine is at daily direct war, we are unfortunately at daily covert war with our eastern neighbour, the Minister of the Interior explained.

“Russia has taken all the capacities of the public and private sectors into its arsenal and is using all spheres of life, be it education, economy, sport, culture or the church, for this purpose. While in the field of national defence we are preparing for a possible armed conflict, in the field of internal security we are already on the battlefield every day. We are no longer in a preparatory phase. We are already taking action,” stressed Läänemets.

He pointed out that the co-operation between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defence had been highly effective, and the renewed cooperation agreement between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defence demonstrated the effectiveness of that co-operation. The agreement establishes, among other things, common preconditions in the areas of internal defence crisis reserve, stockpiling, comprehensive national defence, and civil protection.

“Thanks to our joint efforts, we have reached a situation where the Estonian people have confidence in the agencies that contribute to ensuring internal security. The police are trusted by 88% of people, the Rescue Board by 97% and the Emergency Response Centre by 96%. These are still the three most trusted institutions in Estonia,” said Läänemets.

Läänemets said that 2023 had been a landmark year in the field of internal security. “For the first time, the state budget strategy has guaranteed permanent funding for the field of civil protection for several years. This will allow us to increase the crisis preparedness of institutions better and more systematically, starting with crisis stocks and sirens and ending with civil protection training. The aim is to equip the people of Estonia with the knowledge and skills to protect and help themselves and their neighbours in the event of any crisis,” said Läänemets.

He added that, among the developments in the field of public protection in 2023 with a practical impact, we could mention the introduction of the location-based threat information system EE-alarm message, the activities for the installation of a nationwide network of emergency sirens, which would continue in 2024, the call for applications for cooperatives to improve the sheltering of basements, and series of training courses for state agencies, local governments, educational institutions, and residents.  

In this context, one of the largest crisis management exercises in Estonian history, CREVEX23, took place last year. In total, it consisted of 36 exercises. They took place in Harju County and nearly 50 institutions and organisations and hundreds of volunteers participated in the conduct of the exercises. There were approximately 3,000 registered participants.

We continued to build the eastern border which is the external border of the European Union. Preparedness for the use of on-site surveillance equipment is being established. The planned construction of border facilities along the Piusa River will receive additional funding, while next year’s budget will also include funding for the Luhamaa Control Centre, which will be built by State Real Estate Ltd.

Läänemets explained that the Police and Border Guard Board and the Estonian Internal Security Service had been granted additional rights to increase their capability to deter threats and to prevent and combat offences. In today’s security situation, that really was a necessity, and our responders have better capabilities should they be needed.

Besides that, the Riigikogu had restricted the right to own weapons to Estonian residents who are not citizens of the European Union or NATO member states. It had been the right move, both in substance and morally, and by today the weapons had been handed over by aliens. What was particularly important in all of that was that the police had conducted their activities in a professional manner, and they had not had any conflicts affecting security, the Minister of the Interior explained.

“Communities and local governments have an important role to play in improving crisis preparedness and creating a safe living environment. Municipalities know their communities and their people best, and it is important that they also perceive their role and responsibility. The task of the state, however, is to lead the way and to help with its knowledge,” Läänemets stressed.

Bearing in mind the importance of local governments, a working group of the Ministry of the Interior and the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities has started to work to foster broader cooperation, regularly discussing issues of the work in the field of crisis preparedness and internal security. In addition, a Civil Society Innovation Foundation was launched with the aim of helping local governments and communities create and develop inclusive forms of cooperation and engagement, including in the preparation for crises.

From 2023 until the end of 2026, the Ministry of the Interior will have new permanent partners to increase the capacity of communities and to enhance community-centred governance. They are the Estonian Village Movement Kodukant, the NGO Association of Estonian Folk High Schools in cooperation with the NGO County Development Centres.

“Ukraine continues to be an important partner for us, and we also fulfilled an important objective of ours to enhance the coordination of assistance to Ukraine in the area of governance,” explained the Minister of the Interior.

“In terms of setting the broader and strategic direction, it is important that important documents were put in place last year: the National Security Concept of Estonia, the Action Plan for the Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence 2024–2027 and the Estonian Drug Policy White Paper 2030. We renewed the Laulasmaa agreement. In addition, for example, the vision document “Social Innovation in Estonia – Vision 2030″ was prepared, and the Action Plan for Civil Protection was also completed this year,” the Minister of the Interior said in his report.

During the debate, representatives of parliamentary groups Kalev Stoicescu (Estonia 200), Andre Hanimägi, Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa), Anti Poolamets (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Anti Haugas (Reform Party) and Lauri Laats (Centre Party) took the floor.

The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of a Bill

The Bill on Amendments to the Restrictions on Acquisition of Immovables Act (321 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, is intended to provide for restrictions for aliens who wish to acquire agricultural or forest land in Estonia.

According to the Bill, in order to acquire agricultural or forest land, aliens would have to meet the conditions set out in the Bill, such as be proficient in Estonian at B1 level, have lived in Estonia for at least five years and have an education in agriculture or forestry.

The Bill will not prohibit the leasing of land and earning an income, or engaging in agriculture, forestry, or business in this way, and thereby promoting Estonian life and the management of land and forests.

The Riigikogu rejected a draft Resolution at the first reading

The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Development of Measures to Increase the Birth Rate”  (208 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was intended to make a proposal to the Government to develop and submit to the Riigikogu Bills to create an environment that supports the increase of the birth rate in Estonia.

During the debate, Riina Solman (Isamaa), Helle-Moonika Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor

The Social Affairs Committee moved to reject the Draft Resolution at the first reading. 14 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of this and there were no votes against. The draft Resolution was dropped from the legislative proceedings.

During the open microphone, Rain Epler and Kalle Grünthal took the floor.

The sitting ended at 8.25 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal 
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

 

 

Link uudisele: The Minister of the Interior gave an overview of the improvement of crisis preparedness and the creation of a safe living environment

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Hussar and Mihkelson discussed the importance of supporting Ukraine with Serbian foreign minister

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Hussar said at the meeting that Estonia had been and remained a firm supporter of the EU’s enlargement policy. “We are ready to share with Serbia our experience in the EU integration and reform process and to continue our cooperation in the field of e-governance and cybersecurity,” he said.

Speaking of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, Hussar expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and underlined the need for further support for Ukraine. “We must support Ukraine until victory, because they are fighting on the battlefield not only for their own freedom, but for the whole democratic world,” he said.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and support for Ukraine were also main topics of discussion at the meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu.

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee also pointed out at the meeting that Ukraine needed all the support it could get in its fight against Russia. According to him, this means not only providing military and humanitarian aid, but also imposing and strengthening sanctions against Russia. “There is no alternative to Ukraine’s victory, because Russia’s success would be a disaster not only for Ukraine but for the entire European security architecture. The countries that aspire to become members of the EU have to understand that it is crucial to defend our common interests and values,” Mihkelson said.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar and Mihkelson discussed the importance of supporting Ukraine with Serbian foreign minister

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Foreign Affairs Committee keeps attention on Estonia’s Asian policy

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

According to Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, discussions on the Asian region have been one of the priorities of the Committee for years. “The Foreign Affairs Committee started the hearings on the Asian strategy in 2011, and a year later, the Committee drafted the first report on Estonia’s opportunities and interests in Asia. Issues relating to both Taiwan and the events in Asia more widely are increasingly important in the current security situation, and are also under close public attention,” he said.

Mihkelson added that the topic was relevant for the Foreign Affairs Committee also because the Committee was preparing for a visit to South Korea and Taiwan. It is planned that the Committee’s visit will take place at the end of October.

At the sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Head of the Centre Elo Süld and members of the working group of the report Urmas Hõbepappel, Piret Ehin and Mart Tšernjuk gave an overview of the report on Taiwan that is being prepared at the University of Tartu Asia Centre. The report will be completed at the beginning of next year, and it aims to outline the status, politics, economy and society of Taiwan, and the geopolitical situation in East Asia. The document will also analyse in greater detail the issues related to Taiwan that are of interest to Estonia and from which Estonia can learn, and final section of the report contains recommendations for the future.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Foreign Affairs Committee keeps attention on Estonia’s Asian policy

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Tali discusses situation on EU external borders and energy security with Baltic and Polish colleagues

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

“The border states of the European Union and NATO Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are well aware of what authoritarian regimes in Russia and Belarus are capable of. Our borders are under hybrid pressure. Besides the organised threat of illegal migration, the smuggling of prohibited good is also attempted. We need to rapidly exchange information, coordinate activities, be ready to act decisively and help each other. Putin’s regime does not tolerate our values-based cooperation,” Tali said. “Protection of external borders and strengthening the administration relating to it is necessary in the whole European Union, and it is important to pay attention also to financing of the new solutions and construction of the infrastructure needed for that.”

Tali said that the meeting would focus on energy security, because in the war against Ukraine, Russia had used energy as a hybrid weapon on the geopolitical chessboard both against Ukraine and Europe, and this was the reason it was important to ensure the security of the energy system and achieve energy independence from Russia.

The meeting will begin today afternoon with visits to the Lithuanian-Belarusian border and the Energy Cells battery park in Vilnius, and continue with an exchange of views on the draft programme of the Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) taking place at the end of October.

On Monday, the meeting will continue with discussions on the challenges at the external borders of the EU Member States, and on energy security. At 12.30 p.m., the Chairs of the European Union Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland plan to give a press conference that will be livestreamed on the web page of the Parliament of Lithuania.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Tali discusses situation on EU external borders and energy security with Baltic and Polish colleagues

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Hussar thanked Sweden for receiving Baltic refugees on the 80th anniversary of the Great Escape

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

At the reception dedicated to the anniversary of the Great Escape, Hussar said that the people who had decided to leave their homeland 80 years ago had not wanted to do that, but they could not stay either. “It was a difficult and painful decision for everyone. Those who chose to flee embarked on perilous journeys across the sea, with many tragically perishing before reaching the shores of Gotland and Sweden,” he said.

Hussar noted that starting a new life had not been easy, and it had taken years for the refugees to find new homes, whether in Gotland, on the Swedish mainland, or elsewhere in the free world. “We remain deeply grateful to the Swedish people for their hospitality and support in welcoming our refugees. Those who stayed behind experienced, once again, the brutal and oppressive nature of the Stalinist regime—enduring deportations, repression, and the forced sovietisation of our societies for the next 47 years,” he said.

The President of the Riigikogu emphasised that since the Great Escape of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, much had changed in the world, and yet some things had remained the same, or sadly, had reappeared. “The grim reality is that today’s Russia behaves much like the Stalinist Soviet Union, with similar imperialist ambitions,” he pointed out, and added that as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania had together welcomed tens of thousands of refugees from Ukraine—people who had fled their homes for the same reasons as Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians 80 years ago.

In Hussar’s opinion, what has changed, however, is that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden are now not only united by the Baltic Sea but also by our shared membership in the European Union and NATO. “Today, we stand together, stronger than ever before, in defence of our values and freedom. We are united in supporting Ukraine, in pushing back against Russia’s aggression, so that Ukrainian refugees could return to their homes, the people of Ukraine could live in peace, and Ukraine could take its rightful place among the family of free and democratic European nations,” he said.

Hussar also underlined that in the future, the Baltic States and the Nordic Countries have to cooperate even more closely. “We must also continue to strengthen our cooperation to ensure that our people can live in peace in our countries and that none of us will ever again be forced to flee our homes in fear of a brutal enemy,” he said.

Hussar is on a joint visit of the leaders of the parliaments of the Baltic States to Gotland, where Latvia is represented on the visit by Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) Daiga Mieriņa, and Lithuania by Deputy Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) Žygimantas Pavilionis. Yesterday, the leaders of the Baltic parliaments were welcomed on Gotland by Speaker of the Riksdag (Parliament) of Sweden Andreas Norlén.

Today, the Speakers will visit the Baltic Center for Writers and Translators that promotes literature and cultural exchange with the Baltic Sea countries, and meet with the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities in Gotland. Yesterday, they had a meeting with Governor of Gotland County Anders Flanking, visited the Gotland Regiment, and participated in the wreath laying ceremony in Slite and the memorial service at Visby Cathedral.

At the turning point of the Second World War, 75,000–80,000 people fled from Estonia to the West to escape the invading Red Army. Altogether, nearly 300,000 people escaped from the Baltic States. Many of the refugees headed for Sweden, either via Finland or directly, and for many refugee ships Gotland was the first port of call. The escape reached its peak in the second half of September 1944.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar thanked Sweden for receiving Baltic refugees on the 80th anniversary of the Great Escape

Source: Parliament of Estonia

European Union Affairs Committee supports improving protection of passengers on combined journeys

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali pointed out that the purpose of the initiative was to strengthen passenger protection, encourage the use of public transport and thus contribute to the Green Deal goals by reducing CO2 emissions.

“Within Estonia, nothing will change for the time being for Auntie Maali and Uncle Fyodor, as well as for the Estonian transporters whose journeys within Estonia are shorter than 250 kilometres. At the same time, on international journeys and, in the future, on combined journeys by different transport modes in connection with Rail Baltic, passengers’ rights must be guaranteed in a uniform manner across Europe,” Tali said.

“Our aim is to ensure that the final text of the regulation would correspond to Estonia’s interests, with an emphasis on avoiding an increase in administrative burden and expenses for Estonian businesses,” Tali underlined. “We do not want fundamental changes in the passenger data collection, but we consider it necessary to set a clear term for the storage of personal data,” the Chairman added.

The amendments to the European Union Regulations are primarily meant for the protection of the rights of passengers, for example when buying air and rail travel as a single package. In the future, when buying such a multimodal ticket, the same rights will apply to customers as currently apply in the case of air travel. In the event a journey is cancelled, the passengers must be offered the possibility of re-routing or reimbursement of the cost of the ticket, and a compensation may also be paid by the carrier. Besides that, it is important to inform passengers of delay or cancellation as early as possible, so that they could respond to changes in travel times when necessary and make new arrangements.

Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Piret Hartman and Head of the Public Transport Department of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Andres Ruubas gave an overview of the proposals for regulations on the rights of passengers and the common European mobility data space, and the positions of the Government.

The European Union Affairs Committee decided by consensus to support the positions presented by the Government, considering the opinion of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: European Union Affairs Committee supports improving protection of passengers on combined journeys

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Leaders of Baltic parliaments attend the events of the 80th anniversary of the Great Escape in Gotland

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Latvia is represented on the visit by Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) Daiga Mieriņa, and Lithuania by Deputy Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) Žygimantas Pavilionis. The leaders of the Baltic parliaments are hosted on Gotland by Speaker of the Riksdag (Parliament) of Sweden Andreas Norlén.

On Friday, the leaders of the parliaments of the four countries will meet with Governor of Gotland County Anders Flanking and visit the Gotland Regiment that consists of around 400 soldiers. In the evening, Hussar, Mieriņa and Pavilionis will participate in the wreath laying ceremony in Slite and the memorial service at Visby Cathedral.

On Saturday, they will visit the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators that promotes literature and cultural exchange with the Baltic Sea countries. At the end of the visit, the leaders of the Baltic parliaments will meet with the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities in Gotland.

At the turning point of the Second World War, 75,000–80,000 people fled from Estonia to the West to escape the invading Red Army. Altogether, nearly 300,000 people escaped from the Baltic States. Many of the refugees headed for Sweden, either via Finland or directly, and for many refugee ships Gotland was the first port of call. The escape reached its peak in the second half of September 1944.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Leaders of Baltic parliaments attend the events of the 80th anniversary of the Great Escape in Gotland

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Riigikogu approved an amendment of the Foreign Service Act

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Act on Amendments to the Foreign Service Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (353 SE), initiated by the Government, reduces the burden upon the assignment of specialised diplomats and non-staff administrative officials to foreign missions as the decision-making competence relating to their assignment is left to the sending ministry. In the recruitment to foreign service, a derogation is made that enables former diplomats to be recruited for a specified period without a public competition.

The payment of the allowance for spouse and registered partner is also continued to the extent of 50 percent in the case when the accompanying spouse works. An official who goes on a long-term assignment abroad alone with a child of under 13 years of age, a disabled child, or an adult child with no capacity for work will also have the possibility to take a support person with them to the long-term assignment abroad.

Under the Act, the employer does not have to pay the social tax paid for the spouse or registered partner accompanying an official on a long-term assignment. The aim of the amendment is to encourage employers to allow their employees to take unpaid leave and to allow employees to return to their current job.

The provision delegating authority regulating the issues relating to the residence of the head of foreign mission is transferred from the Foreign Relations Act to the Foreign Service Act.

67 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and two voted against.

A Bill passed the second reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Accounting Act (428 SE), initiated by the Government, will standardise and simplify the requirements for the circulation and preparation of machine-processable source documents, in particular e-invoices.

According to the explanatory memorandum, e-invoicing for the public sector has been mandatory in Estonia since 2019, but the wider uptake of e-invoicing in the private sector has stalled. The Bill is intended to remove the obstacles that have emerged with the widespread use of electronic invoices and to facilitate the implementation of a single European standard for e-invoices.

Under the Bill, electronic invoices will have to comply with the European standard and the Estonian standard will be abolished. The Bill will also abolish the obligation to issue only e-invoices to public sector entities in all cases and will provide for the right of accounting entities that have registered as e-invoice recipients in the commercial register to require sellers to issue electronic invoices.

Two Bills were dropped from legislative proceedings

The Bill on Amendments to § 2 of the Public Holidays and Days of National Importance Act (402 SE), initiated by the Centre Party Group, was dropped from the proceedings of the Riigikogu. It was intended to make Easter Monday a public holiday. According to initiators, it is a public holiday and a day of rest in the majority of European Union countries and in many other countries. With the amendment, the number of public holidays in Estonia would increase to twelve.

The lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 48 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 12 voted against. There were two abstentions.

The Bill on Amendments to the Riigikogu Election Act (obtaining a compensation mandate according to the number of votes cast for a candidate) (412 SE), initiated by the Centre Party Group, was also dropped from the proceedings of the Riigikogu. It provides for a change to the system of compensation mandates in Riigikogu elections.

The Bill was intended to amend the Act so that the candidate who receives more votes would obtain a compensation mandate. For this, the Bill provided that, in the national list of a political party, candidates would be ranked on the basis of the number of votes received and the compensation mandates of the political party would go to candidates who were higher on the re-ranked national list of the party.

The lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 50 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and ten voted against.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu approved an amendment of the Foreign Service Act

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Hussar: We need to be aware of the burden of responsibility laid on us by the Constitution

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Hussar sees the Act on shaping next year’s state budget as a key piece of legislation for the whole Estonia. “The government’s proposals this year are aimed at steering the budget towards better balance. The people also expect steps to boost the economy; many of these steps will be based on decisions made in this hall, and we, as MPs, will critically assess the goals”. He added that no one wanted the parliament to blankly block all the procedures; instead, what were expected were results, meaningful debates, and considered decisions.

On the topic of the state budget, the President asked the MPs to consider what kind of role models they planned to be and could they tighten their own belts even more. “The imperative need to balance the revenues and expenses of the Republic of Estonia leads us to the question: what is our own contribution to dramatically cutting the costs? And one of the very few options left to us by the law is deciding about the expense allowance. Every sergeant or schoolteacher knows that teaching is successful only when you can lead by example,” he said.

Legal acts that govern our daily lives must be clear

Hussar pointed out that one of the many tasks of the parliament was to ensure that the legal acts governing the life in Estonia were effective and clear. “Several legal acts are in definite need of unbiased review and further elaboration today. Times have simply moved on and legal texts can also fall behind,” he said.

The President of the Riigikogu referred to the President of the Republic Election Act, which needed to be updated to streamline and refine the election process and make it more inclusive for the public. “Another one waiting for its turn is the Political Parties Act, which has remained on the back burner for years; we need to answer the question whether a political party that has been repeatedly convicted of a criminal offence should lose its allocation from the state budget.” Hussar added that we also needed to solve the issue of the citizens of the aggressor state in the war against Ukraine having the right to vote at local elections.

Hussar invited the MPs to discuss amendments to the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act, including clarifications on the work of the committees but also the breaks for debate taken before voting. “We should consider giving the chair of the sitting a certain disciplinary power. Not necessarily as extensive as in the European Parliament where the chair can remove a member from the sitting for repeated disruptions, but definitely something stronger than today. No voter has given to any MP the mandate to bring a noise machine to the Riigikogu plenary hall,” he declared.

Everyone must contribute to security

Hussar’s opening speech also touched on Estonia’s security as the corner stone of our independence. Hussar described how the Ukrainian nation was fighting a war of liberation against Russia for the third year running, not fighting for their own freedom alone but standing on the frontline of the democratic free world. He evoked how the parliaments of the free world have played a critical role in this fight. “The same goes for the Riigikogu, which has made nine statements in support of Ukraine and its people during this war, as well as the pioneering decision to hand over Russia’s frozen assets to Ukraine as compensation for war damages,” he remarked.

It goes without saying that Ukraine’s war for freedom compels us to focus on our own national defence. “We are facing the task of ensuring Estonia’s primary defence and victory-oriented strategy. All of us, every member of the Riigikogu, must explain to our allies that the war against Russia cannot be won without turning the fire power against Russia. And it is clear that every one of us must accept that burden and allocate funding to the national defence,“ said the President of the Riigikogu.

Full text of the speech by the President of the Riigikogu

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar: We need to be aware of the burden of responsibility laid on us by the Constitution

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Mihkelson discusses impacts of Russia’s war of aggression with EU colleagues

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Conference will discuss issues relating to illegal migration and protection of the external borders of the EU, as well as further support for Ukraine, including the implications of Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian economy and infrastructure.

Priorities of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy of the EU, and the future Europe and the countries wishing to join the EU will also be spoken about at the Conference. Geopolitical and strategic shifts in the world that have been brought about by the war Russia has launched in Ukraine will be discussed at the Conference as a wider topic.

The interparliamentary conference is held within the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which lasts from 1 July until the end of December. The conference is co-organised by the European Parliament.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Mihkelson discusses impacts of Russia’s war of aggression with EU colleagues

Source: Parliament of Estonia

1...91011...139Page 10 of 139