NordenBladet —The formation of the 2nd Infantry Brigade’s reserve units continued today at the Raadi base in Tartu, as part of the Spring Storm 2024 exercise, with reservists receiving new combat gear. Reservists from the 2nd Kuperjanov’s Infantry Battalion and the 26th Air Defence Battalion, who arrived for the reserve training, …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —
Discussion of the motion of no confidence
Martin Helme gave an overview of the written request to express no confidence. According to him, Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas can no longer be trusted as a minister. Helme presented the arguments that had led to the submission of the motion of no confidence. He pointed out the failure of the joint tests for entering state upper secondary schools, problems related to education reform, the transition to Estonian-language education, and issues related to the new generations and the remuneration of teachers.
Helme said that, in the light of the above, the members who had submitted the motion of no confidence did not believe that the minister would be able and willing to carry out the transition to Estonian-language education in a balanced way and solve other crises that had accumulated in the education system. That was why the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and the Estonian Centre Party Group had submitted a motion of no confidence in minister Kristina Kallas.
Kallas explained that one of the first and biggest concerns in Estonian education over the past decade had been the issue of new generations of teachers.
“In order that we would be able to actually implement what we have agreed upon in the education strategy or in the action plan for new generations of teachers, it is not enough for the Minister of Education to sign one or another or a third document. Even if we could have twice as many teacher training graduates from the University of Tartu every year, this would still not be enough. For this to happen, it is necessary for all school owners who run general education schools in Estonia to jointly agree with all the other parties – teachers’ representatives, as well as state representatives, and private school owners – on what the working conditions of teachers should be, what the normal workload of teachers should be, so that the teaching profession becomes attractive again,” Kallas said.
According to the Minister, our number two concern in education is that we have quite a large number of young people with only basic education, and this number is growing. “Estonia has one of the highest drop-out rates from basic school in the European Union. We have a very large number of young people who do not progress to the next level of education, and they acquire neither secondary education, nor higher education or a profession or vocational education, or secondary vocational education. And that is quite a big concern,” Kallas admitted.
She added that the key to solving that concern really lay in vocational education and in whether vocational education was attractive and available as an alternative to those young people who left basic school and were supposed to go on to further education. “Today, the share of vocational choices at the end of basic school is very low, which is why quite a large number of young people either choose to go to upper secondary school, although they would probably prefer to study in secondary vocational education, or do not choose to continue their studies at all,” said Kallas.
“The vocational education reform is currently in the preparatory phase. It really cannot be rushed because this change is quite significant. So, we have the next two years to work towards implementing the vocational education reform in 2026,” the minister said.
Speaking about the creation of a uniform Estonian-language school, Kallas pointed out the 30-year-long attempt to unite Russian-language schools into the Estonian education system and into a uniform school network, so that we would no longer have segregated schools whereby children with different home languages attend different schools. The preparation and implementation of this education reform is one of the major reforms concerning education in Estonia. She highlighted the sad fact that, as late as in 2023, 53% of graduates from Russian-language basic schools had still not passed the B1 level qualification exam in Estonian. “This is the unfinished work of all of us. This is why we are actually making this transition to Estonian-language education today,” said Kallas.
“According to the information sent by municipalities, we are currently short of about 90 teachers for the first and fourth grades, or transitional classes. In Tallinn and Ida-Viru County, we are lacking 90 teachers who should stand in front of the first and fourth grades and teach in Estonian,” Kallas admitted. She explained that the ministry and municipalities were working very intensively to urge those teachers to learn Estonian.
During the debate, Toomas Uibo (Estonia 200), Raimond Kaljulaid (Social Democratic Party), Helle-Moonika Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Vadim Belobrovtsev (Centre Party), Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) and Erkki Keldo (Reform Party) took the floor.
The motion of no confidence was not supported. 25 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 60 were against.
The Riigikogu adopted a Statement
75 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Statement of the Riigikogu “On Declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an Institution Sponsoring the Military Aggression of the Russian Federation” (420 AE) and eight were against it.
With the Statement of the Riigikogu, the Riigikogu condemns the actions of the Moscow Patriarchate in justifying and supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and declares the Moscow Patriarchate an institution sponsoring the military aggression of the Russian Federation. In the Statement, the Riigikogu also calls on all states and the international community to suppress the hostile influencing activities of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The sitting ended at 6.50 p.m.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Photos (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu.
Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal,
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Riigikogu did not support a motion of no confidence in Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas
Source: Parliament of Estonia
NordenBladet —
President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar said that the depiction of war on children’s pictures, through their eyes, brought a deep sadness to his soul. “Wherever a war takes place, it is the children who suffer the most from it. They will feel the trauma of war for the rest of their lives and pass it on to the next generations,” said Hussar. He emphasised that when looking at these pictures, we should feel with all our souls the responsibility of adults to prevent war or to end it as soon as possible.
The exhibition displays incredibly heartfelt images of war. There are drawings by Polish children from 1946, reflecting their experiences during the Second World War and the German occupation in 1939–1945. From 1945 to 1966, these pictures were preserved in the Polish State Archives in Warsaw. Next to them, there are drawings by Ukrainian children of today that depict the war that is currently taking place in Ukraine, and have been collected into the portal “Mom, I See War”.
The organisers of the exhibition aim to show that through the eyes of a child, war always looks the same. Regardless of the place or time, war is a great evil, and the child is always its victim. The similarity between the historical and contemporary drawings is remarkable. Children draw tanks, planes dropping bombs, fires and explosions. They draw the wounded and the dead, ruined houses, graves. They draw themselves and their families, they draw evacuation and escape. But they also draw pictures of hope and of their dreams for the future.
The exhibition “Mum, I Don’t Want War”, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Embassy of the United States, was commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and consists of children’s drawings held in the Polish State Archives and collected by the Ukrainian portal “Mom, I See War” in 2022.
The 2024 exhibition and educational programme in Estonia is jointly curated by the Embassies of Poland and the United States as well as the American Space in Narva, the American Corner in Kuressaare and the American Corner in Viljandi City Library.
The special exhibition is organised in cooperation with the Chancellery of the Riigikogu. The exhibition will be open until 14 June, and 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.
Photos (Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal,
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: Exhibition of Polish and Ukrainian children’s drawings of war at the Riigikogu
Source: Parliament of Estonia
NordenBladet —Today, cadets from the Estonian Military Academy made their final preparations for the exercise Spring Storm at the Nursipalu training area, focusing on live-fire urban combat and clearing buildings of adversaries. “The ability to hit your target and operate as a unified team is crucial for defeating the enemy,” said …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —On May 6th, hundreds of reservists gathered in Raadi, Tartu, where units of the 2nd Infantry Brigade participating in the Spring Storm exercise were formed. According to Major Taavi Moor, the commander of the 27th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, the importance of reservists cannot be underestimated, as …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —On Monday, May 6th, the annual military exercise Spring Storm started, with nearly 14,000 participants from Estonia and allied countries. This year’s exercise aims to practice carrying out defensive operations in conventional warfare conditions through the cooperation of the Estonian division and allies, incorporating other branches of the military and …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —
Hussar said at the meeting that Estonia and Latvia worked actively together in many fields and the relations between the parliaments of the two countries had also never been better than now. As an example of good cooperation, he highlighted the joint visit of the Baltic Speakers to Canada and the United States earlier this year, as well as the joint letters sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which drew attention to the continuing threat from Russia and the need for US assistance to Ukraine.
“The excellent cooperation between the Baltic States allows us to act quickly and respond together to convince our partners and allies, especially in these critical times when decisiveness and courage are often needed. Such cooperation is necessary to maintain unity in Europe and to continue supporting Ukraine.” he said.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu also discussed parliamentary cooperation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia. Chairman of the Committee Marko Mihkelson said at the meeting that the cooperation between Estonia and Latvia was closer than ever before, and its continuation was crucial to achieving common foreign and security policy goals. The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments of the Baltic States often issue joint statements and make joint visits. For example, in April they jointly visited both the United States and Germany.
During the meetings, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia acknowledged the activities and cooperation of the Speakers and committees, as well as foreign delegations and parliamentary friendship groups.
Meetings in the Riigikogu focused on long-term support to Ukraine, the challenges facing the European Union in the near future and the preparations for the NATO Summit in Washington in summer. Regional infrastructure projects and issues relating to language studies were also discussed.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, who assumed office in April, also met with President of the Republic Alar Karis and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna in Tallinn today.
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 Braže underlined the importance of parliamentary diplomacy
Source: Parliament of Estonia
NordenBladet —
75 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Statement of the Riigikogu “On Declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an Institution Sponsoring the Military Aggression of the Russian Federation” (420 AE), and 8 members were against it.
In this Statement, the Riigikogu strongly condemns the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the unlawful annexation of the territory conquered in the course of the aggression, and notes that Putin’s terrorist regime with its threats of nuclear weapon has become the key menace to peace in Europe and the whole world.
“Ever since the Russian Federation launched a full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus has expressed his public support to the act of aggression of the terrorist regime of the Russian Federation. The leaders of the Moscow Patriarchate and Patriarch Kirill are using the Russian World ideology as a tool to promote the war; it is utilised to destroy the last manifestations of Russian democracy, militarise Russian society, and justify the aggression in order to extend the Russian Federation to all the territories dominated by it in the past, including Ukraine,” the Riigikogu says in its Statement.
The Statement evokes the policy document “The present and future of the Russian world” adopted by the World Russian People’s Council, which has been established under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church and is led by the Moscow Patriarch; the document describes the war of aggression in Ukraine as a holy war both against Ukraine and the whole West, and also views a wider expanse of territories than the former Russian empire as part of the sphere of influence of the Russian Federation. “The calls of the Moscow Patriarchate contain an inherent danger to Estonia’s security and survival, including a direct threat to the public and constitutional order in Estonia,” the Estonian parliament says.
The Statement defines Estonia as a democratic state that stands for religious freedom; the state must also ensure everyone’s freedom to choose the religion to follow. “In the world today, the state also needs to protect people from terrorist and other hostile propaganda as well as incitements to violence. Protection from such propaganda also applies to Orthodox residents of Estonia, regardless of their language, ethnicity, or canonical association,” the Riigikogu declares and expresses disgust for the abuse and distortion of the tradition of religion and orthodoxy by the Moscow Patriarchate and the current regime in Moscow. “In light of the actions of the Moscow Patriarchate so far, there is a persistent threat of people being influenced in this pseudo-religious context.”
The Riigikogu affirms its repudiation of the actions of the Moscow Patriarchate as an institution that justifies and supports the aggression of the Russian Federation and feels validated in declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an institution sponsoring Russia’s military aggression. The Riigikogu calls on all states and the international community to suppress the hostile influencing activities of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The Riigikogu also emphasises that declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an institution sponsoring Russia’s military aggression concerns the Moscow Patriarchate as an institution and a directing body, not the people who follow the orthodox traditions. “Orthodox associations and congregations should also carry out their own assessment of the threat to public order and to their members caused by the hostile influencing activities, and take the necessary steps to cut the ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. The Republic of Estonia must preserve the constitutional right to religious freedom, with full consideration for the rights and freedoms of everyone living here,” the Riigikogu declares in its Statement.
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: Riigikogu declared the Moscow Patriarchate an institution sponsoring Russia’s military aggression
Source: Parliament of Estonia
NordenBladet —
The first reading of the Sugary Drinks Tax Bill (418 SE), initiated by the Government, which had been adjourned due to the end of the working hours of the sitting on Tuesday, was continued.
Under the Bill, a sugary drinks tax will be introduced from 2026 with the aim of reducing the use of sugar and sweeteners in sugary drinks.
The new tax is intended to encourage people to consume drinks with lower sugar content or without sugar and sweeteners. According to the Bill, the tax rate levels will depend on the sugar content of the product and the use of sweeteners. According to the Bill, drinks with a sugar content of at least five grams per 100 millilitres and/or to which sweeteners have been added will be taxed.
If the sugar content of a sugary drink is between five and eight grams per 100 millilitres, the tax rate will be 0.15 euro, and if the sugar content is more than eight grams, the rate will be 0.45 euro per litre.
Drinks containing only sweeteners or both sweeteners and sugar with a sugar content of less than five grams per 100 millilitres will be subject to a tax rate of 0.15 euro irrespective of the quantity of sweetener, and where the sugar content of such a drink is between five and eight grams per 100 millilitres, a tax rate of 0.3 euro per litre will be applied.
If a sugary drink is to be diluted or dissolved for consumption, it will be taxed according to the quantity of the drink diluted or dissolved according to the recommendation of the manufacturer, and its sugar and sweetener content. In the absence of a recommendation to dilute or dissolve, such a drink will be taxed on the basis that it is diluted or dissolved at a ratio of 1:6.
According to the Bill, the sugary drinks tax will be paid by the importer of the drink, the person who acquires the drink from another European Union member state, or the Estonian manufacturer when the drink is made available in Estonia for the first time. Fruit, berry and vegetable juices with no added sugar or sweeteners, dairy products, and plant-based drinks consumed instead of milk will be exempt from the tax, as will be, for example, alcohol, medicines, and food supplements, and beverages prepared on the spot at the point of sale, in bulk and intended for immediate consumption.
During the debate, Eero Merilind (Reform Party), Lauri Laats (Centre Party) and Arvo Aller (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Tanel Kiik (Social Democratic Party) and Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa) took the floor.
The Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, the Centre Party Group and Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 22 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 51 were against and the Bill passed the first reading.
The deliberation of a Statement was adjourned
The deliberation of the Draft Statement of the Riigikogu “On Declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an Institution Sponsoring the Military Aggression of the Russian Federation” (420 AE), submitted by 52 members of the Riigikogu, was adjourned due to the end of the working hours of the sitting. With the Statement, the Riigikogu condemns the actions of the Moscow Patriarchate in justifying and supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and declares the Moscow Patriarchate an institution sponsoring the military aggression of the Russian Federation. In the Statement, the Riigikogu also calls on all states and the international community to suppress the hostile influencing activities of the Moscow Patriarchate.
According to the draft Statement, declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an institution sponsoring the military aggression of the Russian Federation concerns the Moscow Patriarchate as an institution and a directing body and not the people who follow Orthodox traditions. “Orthodox associations and congregations should also do their own assessment of the threat to public order and their members caused by the hostile influencing activities and take the necessary steps to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. The Republic of Estonia must preserve the constitutional right to religious freedom, taking into account the rights and freedoms of all people living here,” the Statement says.
The deliberation of six drafts was deferred
The second reading of a Bill was deferred due to the end of the working hours of the sitting. It is the Bill on Amendments to the State Budget for 2024 (389 SE), initiated by the Government, which will raise the minimum salary rate for teachers from 1,803 euro to 1,820 euro, to which a 20 per cent differentiation part will be added. The calculated average of teachers’ salary will increase by a total of 6.6 per cent, to 2,184 euro. For this purpose, 9.27 million euro will be directed to the local governments support fund in the state budget.
The first reading of five drafts was also deferred. They are the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic on the establishment of a temporary solidarity tax for the banking sector” (367 OE), submitted by the Centre Party Group, the Bill on Amendments to the Security Activities Act (413 SE), initiated by the Legal Affairs Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Municipal Council Election Act (387 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, the Bill on Amendments to the Security Authorities Act (330 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, and the Bill on Amendments to the Police and Border Guard Act (370 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
maris.meiessaar@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Sugary Drinks Tax Bill passed the first reading
Source: Parliament of Estonia
NordenBladet —
The Bill on Amendments to the International Sanctions Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (332 SE) creates a national mechanism to ensure the financial liability of the aggressor state for damage caused by the most serious violations of international law. The amendment will enable the use of assets of individuals and companies that have contributed to Russia’s illegal acts, and frozen under the sanctions, as an advance payment for damages owed by Russia to Ukraine. The Bill also specifies the competences of state agencies in the implementation of international sanctions and provides them with a clearer legal basis for the implementation and monitoring of sanctions.
The Committee made seven amendments to the Bill before the second reading, including an amendment setting out the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the body who decides on the use of assets as an advance payment for the damages by administrative procedure. The initial wording had set out the administrative court as the receiver of the applications.
The Bill provides that the decision on the use of assets as an advance payment for the damages must be based on the fact that the unlawful act has caused provable damage, which must be compensated for under international law, and that the foreign state who has sustained the damage has submitted a relevant request to the foreign state which has caused the damage, but the latter has failed to meet the request within a reasonable term. In order to launch the proceedings on the use of the assets in Estonia, a relevant request must be submitted to Estonia and the conditions for the use of the assets as an advance payment of damages and for assigning the right of claim to the owner of the assets must have been agreed on with the requesting state. In addition, the link between the owner of the assets and the unlawful act must be sufficiently proven.
Under the amendments to the Bill, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must determine all the facts relating to the assets and their ownership status, and make sure that there are no special circumstances that would set the individual’s interests above the need to apply this measure. The owner of the assets would have the right to contest the decision in administrative court.
The Bill was initiated by the Government and passed the first reading in the Riigikogu in mid-November. Before sending the Bill to the second reading, the Constitutional Committee discussed the introduction of a relevant regulation and its importance with national law and banking experts, foreign policy experts, and representatives of the courts.
The Constitutional Committee proposed the second reading of the Bill for next Wednesday, May 8.
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Constitutional Committee sent a Bill on using frozen assets to the second reading
Source: Parliament of Estonia