NordenBladet —Today, representatives from Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) visited the military exercise Spring Storm. They were briefed on the exercise’s objectives, the tasks of the Estonian division, and reserve service in Estonia, and also met with reservists participating in Spring Storm. Reserve officers from 12 countries learned about Estonia’s …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —On May 11 and 12, as part of the Spring Storm exercise and the NATO international exercise Swift Response, UK Chinook and Wildcat helicopters will conduct low-altitude and night flights over Ämari and Western Estonia. The exercises will begin at 22:30 on May 11 and end at 00:30 on the …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —
Hussar pointed out that Estonia and Poland were like-minded countries that had excellent relations and worked very closely together, especially on security issues. “We have a common understanding of both Russia’s aggression and the need to help Ukraine, and we will continue to do all we can to support Ukraine,” he said.
At the meeting, Ukraine’s needs, and possible further steps to help Ukraine were discussed in more detail. Hussar spoke about a Bill that had passed its second reading in the Riigikogu yesterday. That Bill would allow the use of Russia’s assets that are frozen under international sanctions to compensate Ukraine for war damages. He also acknowledged the agreement reached by the EU diplomats to use the income from Russia’s frozen assets to aid Ukraine.
Hussar said that Ukraine needed long-term military, economic and political support, including assistance in reconstruction of the country. In particular, he emphasised the importance of diplomatic efforts, including parliamentary diplomacy, to keep the Allies and partners united.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson and Chairman of the Estonia-Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group Ants Frosch also participated in the meeting of Hussar and Sikorski.
Besides the meeting in the Riigikogu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland met with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna in Tallinn.
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 underlined the importance of unity among the Allies in supporting Ukraine
Source: Parliament of Estonia
NordenBladet —Today during the Spring Storm exercise, French allied units installed a combat support ferry at Pikasilla on the Väike-Emajõgi River, which supported the 2nd Infantry Brigade’s engineer battalion and Danish recon units during a tactical crossing manoeuvre. According to Lieutenant Antoine, the commander of the French engineer platoon, the combat …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —Today, the 2nd Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion’s reservists who were formed on May 8th began refresher training at the Nursipalu training area, participating in the exercise Spring Storm. “With the reservists, we shot at targets from a distance of 100 and 200 metres. I am quite surprised. They can shoot even …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —
According to the draft, the Riigikogu will pass a fundamental decision on whether to allow production of nuclear energy in Estonia or not. The draft is mainly based on the analysis conducted by the Nuclear Energy Working Group in 2021–2023, which concluded that the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia is feasible.
The members of the Riigikogu who submitted the draft support the preparations for the adoption of nuclear energy and the creation of a necessary legislative framework for it. This includes the drafting of the Nuclear Energy and Safety Act and, if necessary, amending and supplementing the existing legislation, the establishment of an institution regulating the safe use of nuclear energy and the development of sectoral competences.
The explanatory memorandum of the draft states that the adoption of nuclear energy will bring along several challenges, like training of qualified workforce, handling and storage of used nuclear fuel, and emergency preparedness. To address these, it is essential to ensure appropriate regulation, supervision, competence development and timely and adequate funding that would guarantee the safe and responsible use of nuclear energy when it is adopted.
According to the explanatory memorandum, the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia would have several advantages. Among other things, nuclear power would provide a controllable and continuous generation capacity that would balance the fluctuations in renewable energy generation capacity, help Estonia reach its climate neutrality target, ensure a stable and affordable electricity price in the long term, promote research and development, bring economic benefits and create jobs for local people. The draft does not grant the right to build a nuclear power plant in Estonia.
As a next step, the Riigikogu should amend the Government of the Republic Act to create a nuclear regulator and adopt the Nuclear Energy and Safety Act. The impacts and risks involved are assessed at each point of decision. If it becomes clear that the next positive decision would have too great negative impacts and risks, or if new circumstances have emerged that affect the adoption of this type of energy, the Riigikogu can decide to terminate or temporarily suspend the process of adopting nuclear energy.
Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
maris.meiessaar@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: Members of the Riigikogu submitted a draft Resolution allowing preparations for adoption of nuclear energy
Source: Parliament of Estonia
NordenBladet —Due to the Spring Storm exercise, there may be an increased number of military convoys and heavy equipment on the roads. From May 10 to May 12, movements of military convoys and heavy equipment will primarily take place along the Tapa – Mäo – Imavere – Viljandi route. From Viljandi, …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
NordenBladet —Today, reservists from the 27th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Brigade practiced demining, detonating explosives, and conducted shooting drills at the Väluste shooting range in order to prepare for the next phases of the exercise. “Fighters are strong-willed and ready to support the brigade’s manoeuvres under any circumstances,” said …
Source: Estonian Defence Forces
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