NordenBladet — At the history seminar dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, held in the Parliament of Sweden the Riksdag today, close parliamentary connections and mutually supportive good relations were highlighted.
President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas recalled in his speech that Estonia’s restored independence had not been recognized at once, achieving it took both persistent action and talks, and the international community had to be convinced that Estonia’s claim of statehood was justified. “Fortunately, we were not left alone in this struggle,” Ratas said, and thanked friends and allies for their support.
The Kingdom of Sweden re-recognised the Republic of Estonia on 27 August 1991 and was the very first country to appoint its ambassador to Estonia. Swedish Ambassador Lars Arne Grundberg started his assignment in Tallinn only nine days after the restoration of independence.
Ratas pointed out in his speech that the young generation in Estonia had grown up having no personal memory of the Soviet regime. He remarked that on 17 October the young people who have been born in the EU member state Estonia would use their right to vote in the local elections. “The life speeds fast forward, and we think less and less of the past,” Ratas admitted. “Events like the today’s seminar help us to reconnect with important landmarks of our history.”
Speaker of the Riksdag Dr Andreas Norlén, who opened the seminar, emphasised the close relations between Sweden and the Baltic States during the last three decades. He said that the three Baltic States had had to fight for their independence and for restoration of their independence. Sweden could support the Baltic Stated by becoming the first country that opened its diplomatic representations. Speaker of the Riksdag assured that the interparliamentary communication that had started in these times continued today and would also continue in the future.
The President of the Riigikogu is accompanied on the visit by Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Enn Eesmaa and Chair of the Estonia-Sweden Parliamentary Group Yoko Alender, who met with Second Deputy Speaker of the Riksdag Lotta Jonsson Fornarve. At the luncheon hosted by the Deputy Speaker, the events of 30 years ago were recalled and current problems, like overcoming the COVID pandemic and the need to tackle the spread of false information hindering the opening of societies, were discussed.
The joint meeting with members of the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Defence, which took place in the afternoon, mainly focused on different aspects of the security of the region. Traditional as well as cyber and hybrid threats were discussed. The need to support the Eastern Partnership and to have closer cooperation with like-minded countries outside the European Union was admitted. It was unanimously found that the Nordic and Baltic (NB8) cooperation had a great potential in transatlantic relations.
Tomorrow the Speakers of the Parliaments of Estonia. Latvia and Lithuania will have an audience with His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
NordenBladet — The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) unanimously recommends that the Estonian delegation should not attend the United Nations conference against racism Durban IV, to be held on 22 September, because the conference is known to have been used to promote anti-Semitism.
“The conference, which was first held in 2001, was intended to unite the international forces in the fight against racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, but it has now become an arena where the countries that violate human rights can express their racist positions,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said. “History has shown that this conference can be used for wrong purposes. Therefore it is only right that Estonia as a member of the UN Security Council will not attend the upcoming conference and will stand against anti-Semitic statements together with its allies,” he added.
The UN conference against racism, which will be held on 22 September in Durban, is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the first conference on the same topic, held in 2001. More than 10 Member States of the European Union, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States, have announced that they will boycott the conference.
At its today’s sitting, the Foreign Affairs Committee was also given an overview of Estonia’s activities as an elected member of the UN Security Council and Estonia’s priorities at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. Estonia’s activities and priorities were introduced by Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations Ambassador Sven Jürgenson and Director of the 2nd Division of the Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kristi Torim.
President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas is on a official visit to Sweden with his Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of re-establishing of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The visit will begin today with a seminar and parliamentary meetings in the Riksdag, the Parliament of Sweden. Tomorrow, the Speakers of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will have an audience with His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
The Speakers will also have meetings with Minister of Defence of Sweden Peter Hultqvist and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde as well as with President of the City Council of Stockholm Cecilia Brinck. They will visit the Swedish armed forces in Enköping and Uppsala University. There will also be a meeting with Governor of the Uppsala Province Göran Enander.
On Saturday, the Estonian delegation will lay a wreath at the MS Estonia Ferry Disaster Memorial in Djurgård in Stockholm and at the Freedom Gate monument to the Estonian boat refugees who fled to Sweden at the end of WW II. After that, they will meet with the Estonian community in Sweden.
The celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations will culminate at noon on Saturday with the Baltic Day in Sollentuna, where President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas will also make a speech. The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian singers and folk dancers will perform. Estonia will be represented by the Estonian dance group Virvel from Stockholm.
Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Enn Eesmaa and Chair of the Estonia-Sweden Parliamentary Group Yoko Alender accompany the President of the Riigikogu on the visit.
At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed an Act that provides as unfair trading practices transactions and activities that are connected to payment periods, supply, and sale conditions, and that are prohibited between buyers and sellers in the agricultural products and food supply chain.
In the Act on the Prevention of Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain (377 SE), initiated by the Government, sixteen unfair trading practices have been listed, nine of which are prohibited in any case. For example, the buyer must not unilaterally change the terms of a supply agreement, cancel orders at such short notice that a supplier cannot reasonably be expected to find an alternative means of commercialising or using the products, threaten to carry out acts of commercial retaliation against the supplier, etc.
The remaining seven unfair trading practices are prohibited unless they have been previously agreed in clear and unambiguous terms. For example, if the supply contract includes no written agreement on covering the cost of discount of an agricultural product or food, demanding compensation for such costs from the seller is considered an unfair trade practice. Such transactions do not give rise to any legal consequences and are void from their inception.
Supervision over trade practices will fall in the remit of the Competition Authority. The Competition Authority will also have to publish a relevant report and, by 15 March every year, submit to the European Commission an overview on the application of the requirements of the Act and on the ensurance of compliance therewith.
Liability is also provided for infringement of the prohibition on unfair trading practices. A fine of up to EUR 1,200 or detention is provided for natural persons and a fine of up to EUR 400,000 for legal persons.
The aim of the Act is to protect suppliers of agricultural and food products against unfair trading practices by buyers. The Act transposes the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain.
During the debate, Ivari Padar (Social Democratic Party) and Aivar Kokk (Isamaa) took the floor.
90 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passing of the Act and one was against.
A Bill passed the second reading
Under the Bill on Amendments to the Restrictions on Acquisition of Immovables Act (365 SE), initiated by the Government, state foundations established to support enterprise in rural areas will be included in the list of persons connected with the state in respect of whom the restrictions on the acquisition of agricultural land and forest land are not applied. As a result of the amendment, such foundations will no longer need to apply for authorisation from the municipal council before buying land. The aim is to reduce bureaucracy, in order to better support agricultural producers and rural businesses who are facing difficulties due to the crisis.
Under the Bill, citizens of the United Kingdom and legal persons whose seat is in the United Kingdom will continue to be exempt from the application of the restrictions arising from national defence reasons in the event of acquisition of immovables.
During the debate, Eduard Odinets (Social Democratic Party), Mihhail Stalnuhhin (Centre Party) and Riho Breivel (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
The Social Democratic Party Faction moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. Nine members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 70 voted against. Thus, the motion was not supported and the second reading of the Bill was concluded.
A draft Resolution passed the first reading
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of a Member to the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group Monitoring the Activities of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation” (405 OE), submitted by the Legal Affairs Committee, provides for the appointment of Urve Tiidus as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group monitoring the activities of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation.
By its earlier Resolution, the Riigikogu appointed Uno Kaskpeit and Kalle Laanet as members of the scrutiny group. In connection with the suspension of the mandate of Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Laanet due to his appointment as a member of the Government, the Legal Affairs Committee made a proposal to appoint Member of the Riigikogu Urve Tiidus as a member of the scrutiny group to replace Kalle Laanet.
Based on the relevant Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, the scrutiny of Europol’s activities is carried out by the European Parliament together with national parliaments. This constitutes a specialised Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group (JPSG) established together by the EU national parliaments and the competent committee of the European Parliament. The main task of the JPSG is to politically monitor Europol’s activities in fulfilling its mission, including as regards the impact of those activities on the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons.
A Bill was dropped from the proceedings
The Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code (373 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, was intended to establish three-to-twelve-year imprisonment for natural persons, and a pecuniary punishment or compulsory dissolution for legal persons, as a punishment for forced vaccination.
During the debate, Tiiu Aro (Reform Party), Viktor Vassiljev (Centre Party), Mihhail Lotman (Isamaa) and Mart Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 51 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 18 voted against. Thus, the motion was supported and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The first reading of a draft Resolution was adjourned due to the end of the sitting
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu Committee of Investigation to Ascertain the Legality and Proportionality of the Police Operation in the City Centre of Tallinn in April 2021” (379 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, provides for the formation of a Riigikogu committee of investigation to ascertain the legality and proportionality of the conduct of the Police and Border Guard Board and other power structures in order to preclude arbitrary and unlawful restriction of constitutional civil liberties.
Due to the end of the working hours of the sitting, the following was postponed to tomorrow’s sitting
The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Status of Members of the Riigikogu Act (396 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction and Member of the Riigikogu Raimond Kaljulaid.
The Riigikogu should carry forward, develop, but also safeguard and protect the pillars of the democratic and parliamentary state that are set out in the Constitution, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas said in his speech to his colleagues at the Opening Sitting of the Autumn Session.
“This is the Estonia that is built on freedom, justice and law, this is the country of our fathers where the preservation of the Estonian nation, language, and culture is ensured throughout the ages. A country where the highest power is invested in the people,” Ratas emphasised. “I firmly believe that these values provide the framework and the content to our discussions and debates during the autumn session like always.”
The President of the Riigikogu thinks that the work of the Parliament during this session must be even more geared towards a dialogue with each and every person living in Estonia. “A dialogue about how our people cope, feel secure, how our nation would survive, about both mental and physical health, education, economy, this exhausting corona virus, and international situation,” Ratas explained.
In his opinion, it is possible to have a dialogue only if talking and listening are balanced. “I believe that this will help to pacify our society, improve relations, and increase our faith in our future. We need all this in our complicated world and in Estonia very much,” Ratas said.
Ratas underlined that the decisions made to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic had to remain a priority also in the Riigikogu. He said that the objective was clear – a society that is as open as possible and where the people’s health is ensured.
Ratas set out the construction and renovation of cultural facilities of national importance, the Education Sector Development Plan for the next 15 years and the next year’s state budget as the topics that would be discussed during the Autumn Session. He added that supported the debate and expanding of the Riigikogu’s decision-making competence in regard to the state budget. President of the Riigikogu also considers it important to hold a political debate on the procedure for the election of the President.
In his speech, Ratas analysed the alarming international geopolitical situation. “The latest events in Afghanistan and on the Belarus border clearly demonstrate how important it is to build a strong democratic state and to foster allied relations,” Ratas said.
The President of the Riigikogu spoke of the local government elections as well. He invited everybody to participate in the elections and to fulfil their civic duty.
President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid also delivered a speech at the first regular sitting of the 6th session of the 14th Riigikogu. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, created the festive spirit at the Opening Sitting. After the festive part, the work of the Riigikogu continued with the agenda for the working week.
At its today’s sitting, the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) discussed the impact of the illegal migration pressure originating from Belarus on Lithuania and Latvia, and found that Estonia should learn from the experience of its neighbours and increase its preparedness for preventing possible illegal immigration.
Chairman of the Committee Enn Eesmaa said that Estonia had helped Lithuania from the beginning of the migration pressure by sending both equipment and people. Estonia has contributed altogether more than 900,000 euro.
In the opinion of the Deputy Chairman of the Committee Leo Kunnas, Estonia had to make preparations so that the situation of Lithuania would not be repeated here. “The situation has changed a lot, and at present our existing plan, according to which the construction of the South-Eastern border had to be completed by 2026, is no longer appropriate,” Kunnas underlined. “Estonia has to change its current plan. It is also necessary to establish a crisis reserve, because we may need that one day.”
Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani, who gave explanations at the sitting, assured the National Defence Committee that the works for fortifying the external border of Estonia were continued actively. Currently, active preparation and construction works are simultaneously conducted on a nearly 60 km long section of the external border. He added that if necessary, it was possible to build temporary obstacles in cooperation with the Defence Forces.
Jaani also remarked that in the current situation, not only the migration pressure from Belarus on Latvia and Lithuania was under discussion, but also Poland was facing increasing challenges. “Today, it is the duty of the Baltic states and Poland to fortify the Belarusian border and to return the people who have illegally entered these countries to their homeland,” Jaani said.
Undersecretary for Defence Readiness of the Ministry of Defence Meelis Oidsalu also replied to the questions of the members of the National Defence Committee.
Today and tomorrow, the Estonian delegation to the Baltic Assembly is in Lithuania to participate in the meetings of the Presidium of the Assembly, the Budget and Audit Committee and the Consultative Council, where the refugee crisis on the borders of the Baltic countries arising from foreign policy tensions is discussed among other issues.
The BA Presidium will meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis, the current Chairman of the Baltic Council of Ministers (BCM), to discuss the cooperation between the BCM and the BA, and the implementation of the recommendations made to the Governments. In addition, a statement regarding Belarus will be discussed.
Head of the Estonian Delegation to the BA Aadu Must said that, against the background of international discord, tensions had increased significantly in the Baltic region, and the pressure on Lithuania and Latvia was of particular concern. “The Baltic countries must not submit to the migration pressure caused by Belarus, and in order to manage the crisis on the border, it is necessary to act together and to find workable solutions together,” Must said.
Among the scheduled meetings, member of the delegation Andres Metsoja highlighted the Consultative Council due tomorrow, where the Chairman of the BA Natural Resources and Environment Committee would report on the activities of the Committee, and circular economy would be one of the issues under discussion. “Circular economy is one of the key priorities of Baltic cooperation that helps turn environment problems into economic opportunities. As natural resources are limited, it is important to find a sustainable way to use them that will benefit both the consumer and the business. At the same time, it will be beneficial for the environment and the country as a whole,” Metsoja said.
In addition, Lithuania as the current Presidency of the BA will report on its activities in the Presidium and committees, and Latvia will present its priorities and plans as the next year’s Presidency.
The Estonian delegation also includes Erki Savisaar and Signe Kivi.
The Baltic Assembly is a consultative cooperation organisation of the parliaments of the three Baltic States, which discusses issues of mutual interest. A 12-member delegation of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) represents Estonia in the Assembly.
The President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas is attending the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Vienna today and tomorrow.
The two-day conference focuses on priorities that need prompt international parliamentary action, including international response to the pandemic and post-COVID recovery, climate change, fight against disinformation, involvement of youth in politics, and gender equality.
Today, the President of the Riigikogu is having bilateral meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Kakha Kuchava, and the Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova.
On Wednesday, Ratas will speak in a panel discussion on balancing the openness, transparency and accessibility of parliaments with security. Ratas will explain to his colleagues how openness works in the daily work of the Riigikogu, and summarise its efforts during the COVID pandemic, with emphasis on the importance of cyber security and cyber hygiene next to physical security.
The 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament brings to Vienna, Austria, the largest number of high-level representatives in the world: 110 speakers of parliament. This is the first interparliamentary meeting in person since the beginning of the COVID-pandemic. The Conference was preceded on Monday by the Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, and it will be followed on Thursday by a parliamentary meeting on fight against terrorism.
At its extraordinary session today, the Riigikogu elected Alar Karis President of the Republic. 72 members of the Riigikogu supported him at the secret ballot.
80 members of the Riigikogu participated in the second round of voting. Eight ballot papers were unmarked.
To be elected, the candidate for President needed a two-thirds majority of votes of the membership of the Riigikogu, that is, the support of at least 68 members of the Riigikogu.
59 members of the Riigikogu from the Estonian Centre Party Faction and the Estonian Reform Party Faction had nominated Alar Karis again for the second round of voting.
In the first round yesterday, Karis received the support of 63 members of the Riigikogu. 79 members participated in the voting then. 16 ballot papers were unmarked.
The newly elected President of the Republic Alar Karis thanked the Riigikogu for the votes that had been cast for him.
“I would like to thank everyone who voted for me, as well as those who did not. I promise to be a good partner to the Riigikogu. Thank you very much,” Karis said.
Photos(Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
At today’s extraordinary session of the Riigikogu, Alar Karis was not elected in the first round of the election of the President of the Republic.
63 members of the Riigikogu voted for him. The support of at least 68 members was required.
59 members of the Riigikogu from the Estonian Centre Party Faction and the Estonian Reform Party Faction had nominated Alar Karis.
79 members of the Riigikogu participated in the voting. 16 ballot papers were unmarked.
The extraordinary session of the Riigikogu will continue tomorrow, on 31 August, at 12 noon in the Riigikogu session hall. The nomination of candidates for President of the Republic will begin at the premises of the National Electoral Committee at Toompea 1, Tallinn, tomorrow, on 31 August, at 8 a.m., and will end at 10 a.m. The National Electoral Committee will register the candidates for President of the Republic before the beginning of the second round of voting.
Photos: (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)