NordenBladet —At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu discussed the proposal of the Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise to deprive Kalev Kallo of deputy immunity and to continue the pending court proceedings concerning him.
In her report, Ülle Madise said that making the proposal and the potential depriving of immunity did not mean that the member of the Riigikogu was convicted of a criminal offence, nor did that suspend the member’s mandate.
The Chancellor of Justice also presented the content of the charges brought against Kallo.
Kalev Kallo made a speech.
52 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of depriving Kalev Kallo of deputy immunity.
The Riigikogu passed a Resolution:
Under the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of Kaupo Paal a Justice of the Supreme Court” (6 OE), submitted by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Villu Kõve, Kaupo Paal is appointed a justice of the Supreme Court as of 1 September 2019.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Villu Kõve noted in his cover letter that Kaupo Paal was an experienced and recognised lawyer whose life and professional experience allowed him to contribute significantly to the work of the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court and the further development of Estonian civil law. He has been a member of the academic staff of the School of Law of the University of Tartu, where he was in charge of carrying out instruction in the subject “property law”, compulsory in the basic studies. As a training provider, he has conducted several trainings for judges and court officers, lawyers and prosecutors, organised by the Estonian Law Centre Foundation and the Legal Information and Judicial Training Department of the Supreme Court. Paal has published several scientific articles in the field of civil law. He is also a contributing author of the annotated editions of the Code of Civil Procedure, the Law of Property Act, the General Part of the Civil Code Act, and the Law of Obligations Act.
In 2007, the President of the Republic appointed Kaupo Paal a judge of court of the first instance and he started work in Harju County Court. In 2009, Paal began work in the Civil Chamber of Tallinn Circuit Court.
Kaupo Paal made a speech and answered questions from members of the Riigikogu.
76 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Resolution.
NordenBladet —The Riigikogu will form the State Budget Control Select Committee, the Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee and the Anti-Corruption Select Committee.
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the State Budget Control Select Committee” (11 OE), submitted by the Constitutional Committee, provides for the formation of the State Budget Control Select Committee which will include one member from each faction.
The purpose of the committee is to ensure, in cooperation with the National Audit Office, control over the Government of the Republic in terms of the implementation of the state budget and sustainable, efficient, effective and lawful use of the state assets and state budget funds.
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee” (12 OE), submitted by the Constitutional Committee, provides for the formation of the Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee. The committee exercises supervision over authorities of executive power in matters relating to the activities of the security authorities and surveillance agencies, including guarantee of fundamental rights and efficiency of the work of the security authorities and surveillance agencies, and also in matters relating to supervision exercised over the security authorities and surveillance agencies. The Draft Resolution provides that the membership of the committee will be formed based on the principle of parity so that the committee will include one member from each faction. The committee submits an overview of the activities of the committee and the results thereof to the Riigikogu at least once a year.
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Anti-Corruption Select Committee” (13 OE), submitted by the Constitutional Committee, provides for the formation of the Anti-Corruption Select Committee which will include one member from each faction.
The committee performs the functions provided for in § 9 of the Anti-corruption Act, and exercises the rights arising from the Anti-corruption Act and the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act to perform its functions.
NordenBladet – More and more people love to spend their holidays in Scandinavia because there is safe, amazing nature and a lot to do and everybody are obsessed with Scandinavian culture! This year NordenBladet gave out a Finland´s travel guide where you can follow one family trip around Finland. While the term “Scandinavia” is commonly used for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the term “Nordic countries” is used unambiguously for Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Finland and Iceland, including their associated territories (Svalbard, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the Åland Islands).
Travel is glorious in any form. The food, sights, arts, culture, languages, and new friends just make it such an enjoyable experience. These are many reasons why it is good to travel by car. Here are few of them:
1. You can make your own itinerary
Travelling by car is great because of the flexibility – you can travel any time, anywhere. You are on your own schedule, and can make unexpected stops. See a little cafeteria by the side of the road? Stop and while away the afternoon, talking with the owner. You manage your own time. You can move quickly from one place to another. You don’t have to waste your time and wait for a bus, train or flight. No waiting at all!
Photo: Denmark (Pexels/Pixabay)
Car trip around Finland – Ivanka Shoshana and Estella Elisheva in Tornio´s cafeteria (NordenBladet/ Helena-Reet Ennet)
2. It is easy to carry your things
If you are travelling with goods, perhaps your shopping, or suitcase if you are going on a holiday it is easier to transport these in your car rather than using public transport which is not secure and is short of storage space.
3. Miles of scenery
Besides topping the list of the world’s happiest nations list, Nordic countries are also leaders in education, gender equality, cleantech, healthtech, biotech, food sustainability and more. Nordics represent a true knowledge society, the high tech and the charm of bustling cities, well-preserved countryside, summer cottages and castles. The best part of driving through Nordic countries is taking in all of the beautiful scenery. You will be amazed at just how vast and diverse some of the landscapes are. A typical Scandinavian / Nordic road trip involves driving through days’ worth of dense pine forests and sweeping farmlands and more lakes than you could possibly count.
Photos: 3x NordenBladet (Helena-Reet Ennet)
4. Nordic countryside is mystical
Nordics have a deep respect for their history and environment. In some countries, you need to drive for hours to reach roads surrounded by forests, fields and lakes. In Nordic countries, it’s exactly the opposite. Nature is around you everywhere, even in urban areas. Travelling through all of this scenery by car gives you a greater sense of freedom to venture wherever you want. Even getting lost is worthwhile. Traversing the rural roads can turn up some amazing sights, which you otherwise might not have seen, and will help you feel completely off the grid and at peace. If you do want to stay on the beaten path and visit the tourist attractions, travelling by car allows you to see as many as you want in a single trip.
Photo: Pexels (Jonathan Petersson)
5. Meeting the wildlife
While exploring sights and scenery, you will inevitably encounter some of Norden’s amazing wildlife such as birds, deer, and if you’re lucky, moose. It’s best to be wary of moose however, since they can dart from the forest onto the road without warning and cause many car accidents every year. As soon as you cross the Arctic Circle, your chances to meet reindeer on the road increase extensively. When you meet one, you’re very likely to meet the whole family, as reindeer hardly ever walk alone. Reindeer are walking on the road, in no hurry at all, and your best option is to drive behind them until they decide to go back into the woods. So make sure you don’t plan too tight of a schedule for a road trip in Lapland.
Photo: Pexels (Frans Van Heerden)
6. Camp in the country side or stay in some quirky hotels
There are many campsites and places to park a caravan, plus everyman’s rights mean you are free to pitch a tent anywhere (apart from somebody else’s garden). If camping isn’t your thing, there are plenty of hotels up and down the country to stay the night, some of them highly unusual.
7. Bring your bike
A Nordic road trip doesn’t have to be done entirely by car. By hitching a bike onto your car, you can stop off at any of Scandinavia’s thousands of cycling paths to see even more nature inaccessible by road. All of the National Parks and hiking trails have their own car parks and some have campsites. Biking is a healthy choice, integrated into one’s lifestyle, cheap, in touch with the city and absolute fun kind of freedom.
8. Small town charm
Each of the small towns and villages you will pass through on a road trip through Nordic countries have a retro charm, some almost feeling as if they have been paused in time. Most will have amenities such as petrol stations, supermarkets, and kiosks to buy ice cream. You can also find hidden gems you won’t find in guide books, such as old churches and classic wooden buildings. Locals might come across as stand-offish at first, but once you talk to them you will likely find them friendly and helpful.
NordenBladet´s 2 weeks in Finland by car – itinerary:
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NordenBladet —At today’s sitting of the Riigikogu, the Governor of the Bank of Estonia Ardo Hansson presented the central bank’s annual report for 2018. Hansson noted that, although the economic growth had slowed down, the economy was enjoying relatively good times.
Speaking of the public finances, Hansson said that, in the estimation of the Bank of Estonia, at that point, it was not reasonable to boost economic growth by increasing government expenditure. Reserves should be accumulated in good times, and it would not be reasonable to take loans at that point. The Governor of the central bank said that interest rates were indisputably favourable, but unfortunately, not always were there favourable conditions for spending the money borrowed. Figuratively speaking, more kilometres of highways can be built for the same money in more adverse times than at present, Hansson said.
In his report, Hansson said that Estonia’s economic growth was slowing down. He noted that the economy had grown by nearly 5% in 2017, by 4% last year, and by around 3% this year. In the estimation of the Bank of Estonia, further economic growth will remain at around 2%. Noticeably faster growth is unattainable with the current technology, labour force, development level and skills. Therefore, the Bank of Estonia is expecting a moderate cooling of the economy in the near future.
Hansson said that domestic price pressure was also expected to grow, because the rise in salaries would be transferred to the prices of services sooner or later. Over the last eight years, salaries have risen by around 6–7% a year in Estonia, while the rise has been 1.5–2% a year in the euro area at the same time. The Governor of the Bank of Estonia said that the rapid salary growth had been positive for Estonian contractors, but employers’ profitability was under pressure and that was holding back investments. In the estimation of the central bank, salary growth is being curbed owing to factors such as the slowing down of the economic growth, positive net migration, and the social insurance reforms, which have brought new people to the labour market. The growth of labour costs is however underpinned by the raising of the minimum rate of salaries in education and healthcare, and the rise in the minimum salary.
The Bank of Estonia is of the opinion that the financial situation of the Estonian banking sector is good as a whole, and the risks threatening it are small. Hansson said that the capacity of the banks to fund investments also remained good. At the same time, in his words, there are certain signs of diminished competition, and the risk to reputation arising from money laundering suspicions may weaken it in the future. Although salaries are growing rapidly and interest rates are low, banks have not fuelled a real estate boom with lending activities, Hansson said. He added that the Bank of Estonia was following the developments in order to take steps when necessary.
The Governor of the central bank pointed out that labour force and the funding of investments had concentrated in the construction and real estate sector. Therefore the sector was growing much faster than the economy as a whole, and labour market tensions were particularly acute there. The influx of foreign labour is indeed connected to the construction sector, in Hansson’s words. In his words, this sector tends to undergo cycles, which means that a backlash may occur at some point when demand decreases or the loan paying capacity of construction and real estate companies deteriorates. Bad loans emerge then, and employees lose their jobs.
In Hansson’s words, the Estonian economy and the work of the central bank is also affected by Luminor Bank’s entry to the market. He explained that when Nordea and DNB had combined their operations, the Estonian banking sector had grown significantly. The new bank had brought all its Latvian and Lithuanian business into an Estonian legal person. This means that the wellbeing of the Estonian banking sector will begin depend more on what is going on in Latvia and Lithuania, Hansson said.
During the debate, Maris Lauri took the floor on behalf of the Reform Party Faction, and said that all risks had to be taken into account in order to ensure financial stability. In her words, the Riigikogu should deal more with the problems of crowdfunding and high-risk financial sector enterprises. Lauri stressed that the Bank of Estonia was an adviser to the Government, and the Government should not make important economic policy decisions without hearing the position of the central bank.
Kersti Sarapuu took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Centre Party Faction. In her words, it is important that Estonia learn from money laundering cases and draw conclusions for the future. She underlined that Estonia’s debt burden was the lowest in the European Union, and the public finances of Estonia were in good order. From the past year, Sarapuu highlighted positively the Port of Tallinn’s entry on the stock exchange which had had a significant impact on capital markets.
Speaking on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Faction, Riina Sikkut said that, for shaping knowledge-based policies, it was important to use the data of the Bank of Estonia. She referred to the analysis by the central bank that said that the people who were making contributions to the second pension pillar were saving more for their pension than those who were not making the contributions. Sikkut said that the Government had to responsibly keep in mind a long perspective and that which was important in regard to the future pensions of all people.
Sven Sester spoke on behalf of the Faction Isamaa. He said that the Bank of Estonia had been successful in ensuring financial stability. Sester noted that the euro area asset purchase programme did indeed stimulate the economy, but it also had risks, such as a potential rise in real estate prices, and postponement of certain decisions to a more distant future. However, in his words, the commercial banks of Estonia are among the best capitalised in Europe, and they have good cooperation with the Bank of Estonia.
NordenBladet —The Riigikogu approved the agenda for this working week. On Tuesday’s plenary sitting, the 2018 Annual Report of the Bank of Estonia will be heard. The Governor of the Bank of Estonia Ardo Hansson will make a report.
On Wednesday, Question Time of the Riigikogu is scheduled, where members of the Government answer questions from members of the parliament. Under the new procedure, the duration of Question Time is two hours now, and it begins at noon.
Question Time and the sittings of the Riigikogu can be followed online via web broadcast.
NordenBladet —The European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) convened for its first sitting today, and elected Anneli Ott the Chair and Sven Mikser the Deputy Chair of the Committee.
Other members of the European Union Affairs Committee are Heiki Hepner, Kalev Kallo, Tarmo Kruusimäe, Oudekki Loone, Jaak Madison, Tõnis Mölder, Kalle Palling, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Anti Poolamets, Taavi Rõivas, Riina Sikkut, Aivar Sõerd, Urve Tiidus and Jaak Valge. The Committee has altogether 16 members.
The European Union Affairs Committee is a standing committee of the Riigikogu that has a deciding and coordinating role in the issues relating to the European Union. The Committee gives the mandate to the positions of the Government of the Republic on proposed European Union legislation and to Estonia’s positions for the meetings of the Council of Ministers of the European Union and the European Council. The positions of the European Union Affairs Committee are mandatory for the Government, and the Government proceeds from them in the discussions held in Europe.
NordenBladet —The Chancellery of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) announces the eleventh competition for August Rei Scholarship in Parliamentary Studies.
The purpose of the Scholarship is to support and promote parliamentary research. It is awarded to authors of Master’s or Doctoral theses on parliament, parliamentarism or the parliamentary assemblies of Estonia, written in Estonian or foreign languages. All students, master’s students and doctoral students who are interested in conducting research on these topics are welcome to submit the concepts of their works.
Students wishing to apply for the Scholarship have to submit the application, CV, title of the master’s thesis or doctoral thesis, concept paper and timeline, the supervisor’s recommendation and other documents to the Chancellery of the Riigikogu by 20 September 2019.
Up to two 1500-euro scholarships are awarded in two parts. The first part is paid to the master’s or doctoral student, or a candidate for master’s or doctoral studies after being admitted as a student, who submitted the best concept for a thesis. The second part is paid to the same person after successful defending of the thesis or dissertation.
The applications for scholarship are evaluated by the scholarship committee of the Chancellery of the Riigikogu. The winners of the competition will be announced by 30 October 2019 at the latest.
August Rei Scholarship in Parliamentary Studies is awarded annually, and it was founded by the Chancellery of the Riigikogu in 2008. By today, the scholarship has been granted to twelve master’s and doctoral students. Eleven of them have successfully defended their theses.
We hope that the competition for scholarship in parliamentary studies will inspire young researchers also in the future, and contribute to the research and valuing of the activities and history of our 100 years old parliament.
August Rei was a member and the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly from its convening on 23 April 1919 until the end of its work on 20 December 1920. In 1920–1937, Rei was a member of the 1st–5th Riigikogu; from 9 June 1925 to 22 June 1926, he was the Speaker of the 2nd Riigikogu.
NordenBladet — At today’s sitting of the Riigikogu, substitute member Andrei Korobeinik took his oath of office. He became member of the Riigikogu in connection with the assumption of office by the new Government of the Republic.
The Board of the Riigikogu registered as members of factions the new members who had taken their oaths of office, and made changes to the membership of standing committees.
The Board of the Riigikogu registered Siim Pohlak as the Chairman of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, and Alar Laneman and Helle-Moonika Helme as Deputy Chairmen.
Urmas Espenberg, Tiit Kala and Kai Rimmel were registered as members of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction.
Andrei Korobeinik, Kerstin-Oudekki Loone, Natalia Malleus and Peeter Rahnel were registered as members of the Estonian Centre Party Faction.
Heiki Hepner and Mart Nutt were registered as members of the Faction Isamaa.
In connection with the assumption of office by the new members, the Board of the Riigikogu also made changes to the membership of standing committees.
The following was approved: Heiki Hepner as a member of the Rural Affairs Committee, Mart Nutt as a member of the Constitutional Committee, Kerstin-Oudekki Loone as a member of the Constitutional Committee, Natalia Malleus as a member of the Finance Committee, Peeter Rahnel as a member of the National Defence Committee, Urmas Espenberg as a member of the Social Affairs Committee, Tiit Kala as a member of the Finance Committee, Kai Rimmel as a member of the Economic Affairs Committee, Andrei Korobeinik as a member of the Constitutional Committee, Kert Kingo leaving the Constitutional Committee and becoming a member of the Legal Affairs Committee, and Paul Puustusmaa leaving the Legal Affairs Committee and becoming a member of the Constitutional Committee.
The first meeting of standing committees is at 2 p.m. today. Each committee will elect a Chairman and Deputy Chairman.
At today’s sitting of the Riigikogu, the substitute members of the Riigikogu took their oaths of office. They assumed office in connection with the suspension of the mandate of the members of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab, Taavi Aas, Mart Helme, Martin Helme, Rene Kokk, Jüri Luik, Jüri Ratas, Urmas Reinsalu and Mailis Reps due to being appointed members of the Government of the Republic.
Urmas Espenberg, Heiki Hepner, Tiit Kala, Kerstin-Oudekki Loone, Natalia Malleus, Mart Nutt, Peeter Rahnel and Kai Rimmel took their oaths of office.
Jüri Ratas, the Prime Minister of the new Government, read out the oath of office and signed the form of the oath. Then he called all ministers to sign the oath of office by their official titles. The Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps, the Minister of Justice Raivo Aeg, the Minister of Defence Jüri Luik, the Minister of the Environment Rene Kokk, the Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas, the Minister of Rural Affairs Mart Järvik, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas, the Minister of Finance Martin Helme, the Minister of Population Riina Solman, the Minister of Public Administration Jaak Aab, the Minister of the Interior Mart Helme, the Ministry of Social Affairs Tanel Kiik, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Information Technology Marti Kuusik and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu took their oaths of office.
After the ministers had taken their oaths of office, the President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid signed the Resolution on the release from office of the former Government. The new Government assumed their duties.
NordenBladet — Speech by President of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas at the concert to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Riigikogu at the “Estonia” Theatre and Concert Hall on 26 April 2019.
Former and current members of the Riigikogu, President Rüütel, members of the Government of the Republic, Excellencies and guests, people of Estonia,
I have the honour to greet you in the beautiful Estonia Theatre Hall. We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Estonian parliament. The 100th anniversary of the Estonian democracy.
90 minutes and exactly one hundred years ago, the fourth meeting of the Constituent Assembly was concluded right here. The participants were committed to their work and understood its gravity. After all, the War of Independence was still raging.
The night before, Russian cannons had lit a massive fire in Narva. One week before, the enemy had launched an offensive on the southern front. Men were being mobilised and our forces were mounting a counter-attack. The frontline was being held by the most patriotic and brave fighters. Our heroes.
The Constituent Assembly was also like a frontline unit in 1919. The average age was 36 years. They knew that by laying the foundations of democracy, they themselves would be under attack. However, the Constituent Assembly was supported by the whole Estonian society. They did not see themselves as the elite, but as part of the people.
The Constituent Assembly was brimming with self-confidence and courage to walk their own path. They adopted a radical Land Act, although their opponents called it alien to European values. This, as well as the Constitution, were passed against the backdrop of fiery but well-argued debates. They also introduced the right to conduct referendums by public initiative. However, we no longer have the possibility of public initiative that would lead to a referendum, the adoption of an Act, or an Act not being promulgated.
The Constituent Assembly did not worry about how we would be seen elsewhere, nor did they wait for foreign guidelines. They were thinking about how to serve the best interests of the Estonian state and people. They declared that the people of Estonia wanted to live independently in a nation state. Forever, as our Constitution confirms to this day.
In 1920s, Estonia was among the twelve most democratic states in the world, and among the top seven in Europe. Women’s suffrage had already been introduced here in 1917. Nearly thirty years before France or Switzerland.
By autumn 1944, more than one half of the members of the 1919 Constituent Assembly were either dead or missing. Half of the rest had to flee Estonia. They shared the fate of their people. The occupied Estonia remained at the mercy of the communist regime and Russification policy for half a century.
But we did not just accept that. Our yearning for freedom and democracy never went out. We survived as a people and restored our country in 1991. Our nation state. We clearly remember the emotional moment when we hoisted our national flags again. We had to start everything from the beginning once more. Just like the Constituent Assembly, the Riigikogu began to draft legislation, procedures, and provisions. Today, we are a member of the European Union and NATO.
Our time may not be as dramatic and dangerous as it was between the two world wars. Yet sometimes it feels like we have been our own worst enemy. Low self-awareness, lack of critical thinking when it comes to the recommendations of others, ignoring the real values, steam-roll policies that disregard the will of the majority, provoking polarisation… However, we can already sense the positive changes coming.
In his political testament, member of the Constituent Assembly Jaan Tõnisson said that ’If our generation wishes to rise to the height of a sovereign nation who would be capable of supporting the independent nationhood of Estonia and ensuring our national future, we must open our souls to the ideals that would take us further and higher.’
On the centenary of Estonian democracy and parliamentarianism, the key to our future is in our own hands. The courage, patriotism, and truly democratic attitude of the Constituent Assembly are an example to us. This has taken root in the mindset of our people. What brought us here will also take us forward.
I thank all the members of the Constituent Assembly and the Riigikogu throughout history. All those who have carried and still carry the spark of freedom and democracy in their hearts.
We are facing the future with optimism. Long live Estonia!
