The Chairman of the EUAC Peeter Tali said that Estonia supported the main goals of the Omnibus, which consisted of reducing bureaucracy and speeding up the procurement proceedings in the defence sector. “We fully agree that for the development of the defence industry and increasing defence capability, the processes here should be simpler and faster, the regulatory burden lighter, and the EU law must be adapted to the needs of the defence readiness,” Tali elaborated.
The Committee decided to amend the positions after taking into account the proposals of the National Defence Committee. This prompted the clarification that the weapons banned by universally recognised international weapons conventions can remain outside the investment framework, but only if the Member State has joined the relevant convention. “This clarification is necessary because Estonia has cluster munition, which is why we have not joined the Oslo Convention and have also left the Ottawa Convention that bans anti-personnel mines,” Tali explained.
The Committee also added a new clause to the position, which says that Estonia supported a simpler, faster, and more transparent procedure for producing, exporting, and transiting munition in the European Union.
Estonia’s positions say that it is important to speed up investments into the technological and industrial basis of Estonia’s defence industry and to achieve the necessary production capacity to prevent war but be prepared for it. With all this, Estonia still continues to emphasise the promotion of cross-border cooperation, common development of the EU defence market based on competition, as well as respecting the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises.
At the sitting of the Committee, the positions of the Government on simplifying the EU Defence Readiness Omnibus (Omnibus V) were presented by the Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur. The European Union Affairs Committee decided to approve the positions of the Government by consensus, taking also into account the opinion of the National Defence Committee.
According to Chair of the Finance Committee Annely Akkermann, the Committee plans to discuss the state budget by areas of government at several sittings next week.
“During the discussion, we want to get information from the ministers about the goals and costs of the programmes planned in the performance-based budget, what the desired outcome is, and how it will be measured,” Akkermann said. “The budget needs to be justified and transparent.”
The total volume of the state budget for 2026 is 20.9 billion euro. The revenues of the budget will amount to 18.6 billion and the expenditures will amount to 19.5 billion euro. The investments amount to 1.3 billion euro. The planned government sector deficit is 4.5 per cent of GDP, which remains within the limits of the exemption granted by the EU for rapid growth in defence spending. Due to the significant increase in the budget deficit, next year’s debt burden will grow by 1.7 billion euro, to 25.9% of GDP.
Compared to the budget of 2025, budget revenues will grow by 843 million euro or by 4.7 per cent. The total volume of expenditure will increase by 1.15 billion euro, or 6.3%, over the year. The total volume of investments will increase by 32%, or 305 million euro, over the year.
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 844.5 million euro next year.
The government plans to invest 276.8 million euro in road infrastructure, including 65 million euro from motor vehicle tax, and 684.2 million euro in railways, among other things to ensure the completion of Rail Baltic by 2030.
According to the Bill, state revenues will decrease by 780 million euro 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 319 euro per month, or 3828 euro per year. However, earlier cuts in operating expenses will also be applied in the same areas – the total cuts in the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Culture will amount to 94 million euro in 2026, to which the Ministry of Education and Research will add another 18 million euro through a budget revision.
28.9 million euro will be allocated for salary increases in the area of governance of the Ministry of the Interior in 2026, which will enable front line rescuers, police officers, rescue coordinators, and lecturers at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences to receive a salary increase of nearly 10 per cent The average pension is expected to increase by 5.4 per cent, 210 million euro have been allocated in the budget for this purpose.
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 14 million euro. To achieve budget neutrality, 48 million euro from motor vehicle tax will be allocated to the consolidated project for national roads.
The subsistence benefit limit will be raised to 220 euro (an increase of 20 euro), and the subsistence level for each minor child in a family will be raised to 264 euro, for which an additional 4 euro million will be allocated from the budget.
The Finance Committee of the Riigikogu decided to send the State Budget for 2026 Bill (737 SE), initiated by the Government, to the first reading at the plenary sitting of the Riigikogu on 7 October.
The Bill on Amendments to the Emergency Act and Other Acts (662 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 66 Members of the Riigikogu voting in favour. The Act is one part of a package of amendments aimed at developing comprehensive national defence, increasing the preparedness of the Estonian people for potential future crises, and protecting people’s lives and health in the event of danger.
The Act regulates the organisation of sheltering by setting out the requirements to shelters and the principles for adapting sheltering locations. The explanatory memorandum notes that, since the security situation has changed due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the organisation of sheltering in Estonia must also be improved and shelters must be built and sheltering locations adapted to better protect people in potential situations of danger.
The Act will establish a requirement under which shelters will have to be built, or existing spaces adapted as sheltering locations in large populous buildings. From July 1 next year, public shelters will have to be built in new buildings that are visited by crowds or have a closed net area of at least 10,000 square meters.
According to the Act, a non-public shelter will have to be built when a residential building or another public or special building with a closed net area of at least 1,200 square meters, or an industrial or warehouse building with a closed net area of at least 1,500 square meters is built.
Originally, the Bill provided for the construction of non-public shelters by 1 July 2028. However, the National Defence Committee made an amendment to the Bill for the second reading, bringing the relevant deadline forward by two years. After hearing the interest groups and the representatives of the fields of administration of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior, the Committee unanimously decided that the deadline for constructing non-public shelters must be the same, i.e. 1 July 2026. Under the Act, spaces will also have to be adapted as sheltering locations in existing buildings wherever possible.
According to the Act, along with the building of shelters and sheltering locations in buildings, shelter plans will also have to be drawn up. Activities related to sheltering, including preparations for sheltering, informing the public, and raising awareness, will be organized by the Rescue Board in cooperation with local governments.
The Act also regulates the use of the national emergency notification system EE-ALARM, including the installation and commissioning of siren devices, and the rights and responsibilities related to it. According to the amendment, all possessors of mass media, electronic communications, information screens in public spaces, and national mobile applications with at least 10,000 end users will have to join the EE-ALARM system so that important information would reach people quickly in the event of a potential threat. The Rescue Board will coordinate the preparation for the transmission of immediate emergency notifications. The Act also grants the Board the right to test the national emergency notification system.
In addition, the Act provides for an obligation for all employees of state and local government agencies, as well as agencies providing critical services to undergo civil protection training so that they can respond quickly, help people, and keep essential services running in a crisis situation.
“Urmas Viik’s exhibition opens a door to the world of imagination and creativity in the walls of Toompea Castle; this is just as important for the development of our society as are discussions and decisions in the plenary hall. Art exhibitions like these help us take note of new viewpoints and value the role of culture in shaping an open and thoughtful country,” said the President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar.
The inspiration for the exhibition comes from botanical engravings of the 19th century and imaginative medieval travelogues. In the mythology created by Viik, tribal foxes are strange creatures who meld together the animal and the human essence on the surface of paper. The exhibition includes the pseudo-scientific depictions, oversized formats, miniatures, and three-dimensional objects so characteristic in the oeuvre of the artist.
Urmas Viik has described his creative process as a collection of memories that does not lend itself to a search of specific hints. “The name of the series—Tribal Foxes—is an amalgamation of two words: tribal and werefox. The series plays with images as joyfully and as irresponsibly as with definitions; it is a mixture of clan, tribe, and gang signs. The mythical werefox—a master of transformation—blends the outlines between exotic and mundane, archaic and urban, and sensual and comical,” the author describes his exhibition.
Urmas Viik works in graphic art, illustration, and installation. He has worked as a professor in the Estonian Academy of Arts and Tallinn University. Viik has taken part in nearly 30 exhibitions and has won numerous awards: 4th Class Order of the White Star, Kristjan Raud Prize, Cultural Endowment of Estonia Annual Prize, Annual Prize of Vaal Gallery “Harpoon”, Eduard Wiiralt Art Prize, Silver Lovie Award in Website: Best Individual Editorial Experience.
The unique world of “Mega Flowers and Tribal Foxes” remains open until 14 November 2025. The exhibition can be visited on working days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors need to present an identity document to gain entry to Toompea Castle.
Exhibitions in the Exhibition Hall at Toompea Castle are organised by the Estonian Artists’ Association in cooperation with the Chancellery of the Riigikogu.
Photos (Author: Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
The Bill on Amendments to the Vital Statistics Registration Act, the Population Register Act and the State Fees Act (687 SE), initiated by the Government, will make amendments to streamline population procedures and resolve bottlenecks, reducing the number of places where births can be registered and allowing healthcare providers to register births without a birth certificate, based on other sufficient evidence, without having to go to court. In the residence registration procedure, the possibility will be created to register a child’s residence at the initiative of the local government without the consent of the other parent with legal custody and to form a personal identification code for a citizen of the European Union or Switzerland upon registration of their residence, and the registration of the residence of a citizen of the European Union from Estonia to a foreign country will be simplified. The administrative procedural capacity of 15-17-year-olds will also be expanded, allowing them to see their population register data and restrict its availability, and to provide contact details, additional addresses, and statement-based data.
The Bill on Amendments to the Waste Act (676 SE), initiated by the Government, will bring the Act into conformity with the relevant EU Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries. The bill will help reduce the CO2 footprint of batteries and accumulators, support the circular economy, and promote sustainable and innovative solutions in energy storage. Battery and accumulator manufacturers will have to improve the efficiency of their battery and waste collection systems and invest more in outreach work, i.e. promote the return of old batteries and accumulators to collection points. Manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries and light means of transport batteries will be required to join a producer responsibility organisation.
After the sitting, a meeting will be held in the hall to form a support group for reducing the harm caused by tobacco, alcohol, and narcotic substances, convened by Eero Merilind.
At the meeting, Hussar gave an overview of the violation of Estonia’s airspace by Russia and thanked his colleagues for their support and solidarity. He highlighted the need to further enhance cooperation between countries and to discuss with the governments the possible changes that would allow NATO countries to enter the airspace of other allies if necessary in response to airspace violations.
In the wake of Russia’s violation of Estonia’s airspace on Friday, which followed attacks against Poland and Romania, Estonia launched NATO Article 4 consultations and, for the first time in its 34 years of membership, initiated an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. After Russia’s drone attack in Poland, NATO launched the Eastern Sentry vigilance measure, under which allies are strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence posture with additional air defence elements in Estonia and across the eastern flank.
According to Hussar, one of the aims of Russia’s increasingly frequent provocations is to weaken Western unity and support for Ukraine and to test the response of NATO and its member states. “Our words and actions must clearly show Russia that we are doing both: strengthening our deterrence and defence, including air defence, as well as continuing to strongly support Ukraine,” he said.
Hussar emphasized that in addition to supporting Ukraine, the price of aggression for Russia must also be raised. “We must jointly exert maximum pressure on Russia. To do this, we must proceed quickly with the increasing of sanctions and taking into use of Russia’s assets frozen under sanctions,” he said.
At the meeting, the Speakers agreed it was important to expand cooperation between the parliaments of the Baltic Sea countries, including by intensifying consultations between the heads of parliamentary committees.
The meeting convened by Hussar was attended by the Speakers of the parliaments of eight countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Hussar said that the violation of Estonia’s airspace had been a deliberate provocation by Russia, which took place after the attacks against our NATO and European Union allies Poland and Romania. Following the airspace violation, Estonia initiated NATO Article 4 consultations and, for the first time in its 34 years of membership, requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
According to Hussar, Russia’s actions blatantly violate international law and clearly demonstrate that it is not interested in achieving peace. “At today’s meeting of Speakers, I would like to thank my colleagues from the Nordic Countries, the Baltic States and Poland for their support, and discuss further cooperation to increase political and economic pressure and raise the cost to Russia of its war of aggression against Ukraine and its increasingly frequent provocations,” he said.
According to Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee Madis Timpson, the aim of the Bill is to increase liability for damaging critical submarine infrastructure and to raise the penalties for such acts so high that, for example, Russia’s shadow fleet would think carefully about whether it is worth to commit such a crime.
“We are responding to bad experiences where two ships have damaged our important submarine cables with their anchors and caused damage to our economy. The aim is to respond to hybrid warfare and the security situation, prevent such economically damaging attacks, and claim compensation for damage,” Timpson said. He added that there were plans to strengthen penalties both for damaging cables and for the so-called commissioned vandalism.
According to the Bill, criminals who have damaged infrastructure connected with Estonia in our economic zone can be punished. The Bill also plans to strengthen penalties for crimes related to damage to critical underwater infrastructure and to allow surveillance in such criminal cases in order to better combat hybrid attacks by hostile countries.
It was noted at the sitting that Estonia had acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), according to which coastal states must provide for sufficiently dissuasive penalties in their legislation and update their penal law if necessary. It was also pointed out that Finland, for example, had already strengthened its penalties.
Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta and Adviser of the Penal Law and Procedure Division of the Ministry Martin Ziehr gave an overview of the Bill at the sitting.
The Legal Affairs Committee decided to send the Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Penal Jurisdiction and Damaging Underwater Infrastructure) (656 SE) to the first reading at the plenary sitting of the Riigikogu on 8 October with the motion to conclude the first reading.
The Riigikogu passed again the Act on Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act (570 UA) which the President had refused to promulgate for a second time. The Riigikogu first adopted the legislative amendments initiated by the Government on 9 April. The Act is intended, among other things, to ensure that, under the guise of freedom of religion and freedom of association guaranteed by the Constitution, the religious organisations operating in Estonia cannot be used to spread hostile influence, disseminate extremist ideologies, or incite violence. According to the explanatory memorandum, Estonia stands up for freedom of religion and everyone has the freedom to choose whether to follow a religion and which religion to follow. However, in addition to respecting freedom of religion, belief, and association, the state must also take into account the challenges that threaten national security and the security of society.
The Act specifies who can serve as a minister of religion or be a member of the management board of a religious association in Estonia. In addition, the requirements for the statutes of a religious association are specified and the possibility is created to leave a church whose activities, statutes, or membership of the management board do not meet the requirements established. For this, the religious associations will have to adopt new statutes and after that it will be possible to enter the amendments complying with the requirements into the register without the approval of the governing body of the church, insofar as obtaining such an approval may not be realistic.
The President did not promulgate the Act on 24 April, considering that the restriction on religious freedom and freedom of association it created was not proportionate. On 14 May, the plenary of the Riigikogu decided that it would not pass the Act again without amendments but would begin to amend it.
In the course of renewed deliberation the Riigikogu made several amendments to the Act. For example, the prohibition on being guided by a person of significant influence located in a foreign country was omitted from the Act and the transitional period for making necessary changes was extended from two months to six months. The Riigikogu passed the amended version of the Act on 18 June.
However, the President again refused to promulgate the Act on 3 July, finding that the Riigikogu had amended the text of the Act somewhat, but not sufficiently. In his opinion, this continues to be contrary to three articles of the Constitution and disproportionately restricts freedom of association and freedom of religion. He made a proposal to the parliament to renew the deliberation on the Act and bring it into conformity with the Constitution.
Vadim Belobrovtsev and Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group, Madis Timpson from the Reform Party Group, Helir-Valdor Seeder from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Andre Hanimägi spoke on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group and non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal and Peeter Ernits also took the floor.
63 members of the Riigikogu supported passing the Act again without amendments and 15 voted against. After the Act has been passed again, the President must either promulgate the Act or turn to the Supreme Court with a proposal to declare it unconstitutional.
The Riigikogu decided to begin to amend another Act that the President of the Republic had refused to promulgate. The Riigikogu first passed the Act on Amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act and the International Sanctions Act (640 UA), initiated by the Government, on 19 June. The aim of the Act was to improve the data processing functions and supervision of the Financial Intelligence Unit and to strengthen the protection of the financial system.
The Act provided that the strategic analysis capability would be included in the functions of the Financial Intelligence Unit database to process anonymous but, where necessary, reversible data, perform profile analyses and use text and data mining. According to the Act, the Data Protection Inspectorate will exercise supervision over the process, and the Financial Intelligence Unit will submit an overview of the performance of its tasks to the Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee of the Riigikogu once a year.
The President of the Republic refused to promulgate the Act on 3 July because, in his opinion, it excessively restricted the right to informational self-determination and was therefore not in accordance with the Constitution. He saw it necessary to discuss the Act again in the Riigikogu and to bring it into conformity with the Constitution.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart from the Centre Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Varro Vooglaid and Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Riina Sikkut from the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Peeter Ernits and Kalle Grünthal also took the floor.
At the vote, no member of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act again without amendments and 70 voted against. As the Riigikogu did not pass the Act again without amendments, a deadline for submission of motions to amend the Act was set and the further proceedings on it will continue pursuant to the general procedure.
Another Act was passed
At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Atmospheric Air Protection Act and Other Acts (partial transposition of to the greenhouse gas emission trading scheme directive) (667 SE), initiated by the Government. It updates the Emissions Trading System, includes maritime transport in the system, eliminates free emission allowances in aviation, and increases funding for the Modernisation and Innovation Funds.
The amendments will create new opportunities to invest in green technologies and reduce emissions. The extension of the system to the maritime sector will increase the administrative and financial burden on companies within its scope of application in relation to the acquisition of emission allowances. The Environmental Board is given new tasks in monitoring and checking emissions.
During the second reading, motions to amend to increase legal clarity and reduce the administrative burden were incorporated and transitional provisions were included in the bill. For example, shipping companies will have to offset their 2024 emissions within three months.
Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Tarmo Tamm from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
At the final vote, 49 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 22 were against it.
A Bill passed the second reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Emergency Act and Other Acts (662 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It regulates the organization of national danger notification and sheltering of residents in situations of danger. The bill is part of a package of legislative amendments aimed at developing comprehensive national defence, increasing the preparedness of the Estonian people for potential future crises, and protecting people’s lives and health in the event of danger.
The Bill regulates the organization of sheltering, setting out the requirements applicable to shelters and the principles for adapting sheltering locations. The explanatory memorandum notes that, since the security situation has changed due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the organization of sheltering in Estonia must also be improved and shelters must be built and sheltering locations adapted to better protect people in potential situations of danger.
The bill will establish a requirement under which shelters will have to be built, or existing spaces will have to be adapted as sheltering locations in large buildings where a lot of people move around. From July 1 next year, public shelters will have to be built in new buildings that are visited by crowds or have a closed net area of at least 10,000 square meters.
According to the Bill, a non-public shelter will have to be built when a residential building or another public or special building with a closed net area of at least 1200 square meters is built, or an industrial or warehouse building with a closed net area of at least 1500 square meters is built. Originally, the bill provided for the construction of non-public shelters by 1 July 2028. However, the National Defence Committee made an amendment to the bill for the second reading, bringing the relevant deadline forward by two years. According to the bill, spaces will also have to be adapted as sheltering locations in existing buildings where possible.
According to the bill, along with the building of shelters and sheltering locations in buildings, shelter plans will also have to be drawn up. Activities related to sheltering, including preparations for sheltering, informing the public, and raising awareness, will be organized by the Rescue Board in cooperation with local governments.
The bill also regulates the use of the national emergency notification system EE-ALARM, including the installation and commissioning of siren devices, and the rights and responsibilities related to it.
According to the Bill, all possessors of mass media, electronic communications, information screens in public spaces, and national mobile applications with at least 10,000 end users will have to join the EE-ALARM system so that important information would reach people quickly in the event of a potential threat. The Rescue Board will coordinate the preparation for the transmission of immediate emergency notifications. The Board will also be granted the right to test the national emergency notification system under the Bill.
In addition, the Bill provides for an obligation for all employees of state and local government agencies, as well as agencies providing critical services to undergo civil protection training so that they are able to respond quickly, help people, and keep essential services running in a crisis situation.
Kristo Enn Vaga from the Reform Party Group, Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party Group, Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group and Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Peeter Ernits also took the floor.
Three bills were dropped from the proceedings
The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act (659 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Members of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab, Ester Karuse, Tanel Kiik, Andre Hanimägi and Züleyxa Izmailova. It was intended to raise the allowance for the first and second child to EUR 100 euro per month. Currently, the allowance for the first and second child is EUR 80, while an allowance of EUR 100 per month is paid for the third and each subsequent child. The Bill was also intended to raise the single parent’s child allowance from EUR 80 to EUR 100.
According to the initiators, bringing all child benefits to an equal level would show that every child is valuable and deserves equal state support. According to them, raising child benefits would also help improve the economic livelihoods of families with children.
Tanel Kiik took the floor behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group in the debate. Riina Solman from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group and Signe Riisalo from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group also took the floor.
The Social Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 43 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and 19 were against it.
The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Motor Insurance Act (insurance of personal light electric vehicles) (631 SE), initiated by the Centre Party Group. It was intended to establish the obligation to insure personal light electric vehicles for all persons who own more than 10 rental personal light electric vehicles used in traffic.
According to the explanatory memorandum, compulsory motor insurance cover is currently required for vehicles with a maximum design speed exceeding 25 kilometres per hour or with a maximum design speed exceeding 14 kilometres per hour and a mass exceeding 25 kilograms, while scooters from some rental companies weigh 24 kilograms and are therefore not subject to the insurance obligation.
According to the initiators, rental vehicles participate in traffic significantly more often than privately owned personal light electric vehicles and therefore carry greater risks. According to them, the amendment would create a level playing field for companies offering rental services and ensure better protection of both consumers and human health.
The Economic Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill. 36 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and 11 voted against.
The Riigikogu also rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act and the Vocational Educational Institutions Act (620 SE), initiated by the Centre Party Group. It was intended to raise the national minimum rate of school lunch subsidy per student from one euro to two euro per day. In the opinion of initiators, the amendment would help ensure that school meals are high-quality and healthy and available to all students. The state last increased the minimum rate of school meal subsidy in 2018.
The Cultural Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 33 members of the Riigikogu voted for rejection and 10 were against it.
Today, students of Tallinn School No. 21 Jan Kenneth Toming, Mathias Peškov, Uku Schneider, Aron Kipso, Kaspar Koppel and Patrik Kallast assisted at the flag raising. After the ceremony, President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar showed the students the historical Riigikogu Building.
In his welcoming speech to the students, President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar emphasised that today’s ceremony highlighted the determination of Prime Minister Otto Tief and the members of his cabinet. “Without the events of September 1944, the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Estonia from Russian occupation on the basis of legal continuity maybe would not have been possible. Tief’s government is the link that connects victory in our War of Independence with today. And you, high school students, with your desire and commitment to celebrate this day in a dignified way, show that you understand this connection perfectly. I am proud that we have such young people!” Hussar said.
The Flag Guards of Tallinn School No. 21 is a student organisation that was founded in 1997. It presents, guards, and protects the school flag and, if necessary, the National Flag, in accordance with the Estonian Flag Act. The Flag Guards are a team made up of volunteer young men from grades 10–12 and drummer boys studying in basic school. The Flag Guards participated in the flag-raising ceremony on Resistance Day for the 12th time.
In the summer of 1940, when the Soviet forces occupied the territory of Estonia, the schoolhouse on Raua Street in Tallinn, now known as Tallinn School No. 21, became the temporary barracks of the Signal Battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces.
When the German occupation ended in autumn 1944, the constitutional Republic of Estonia was restored. For this purpose, the Government of the Republic, headed by Otto Tief, took office on 18 September. The Government declared Estonia neutral in the ongoing war. However, the Red Army did not care about Estonia’s sovereignty, and Estonia was occupied again. On 22 September 1944, the blue, black and white flag of Estonia on the Tall Hermann Tower was violently replaced with a red flag.
22 September is celebrated in Estonia as Resistance Day. At the end of September 1944, the Estonian resistance to the Soviet power began, which lasted for nearly half a century. It was a resistance for the restoration of Estonia’s independence, both at home and in exile.
Resistance Day has been celebrated in Estonia as an official holiday since 2007.