Today, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas convened the extraordinary sessions of the Riigikogu for Friday, 15 July and Monday, 18 July on the proposal of the Government of Estonia and 29 members of the Riigikogu.
On the proposal of the Government, the first extraordinary session will take place in the Session Hall of Toompea Castle on Friday at 9 a.m. The agenda for the session includes the political statement by the Prime Minister on resignation of the Government.
The second extraordinary session will be held on the proposal of 29 members of the Riigikogu on Friday one hour after the end of the first session. The agenda of the session will include authorisation of the candidate for Prime Minister Kaja Kallas to form a Government, and the third reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Fertilisers Act, the Chemicals Act and the Product Conformity Act (614 SE), initiated by the Government.
If the candidate for Prime Minister is authorised by the Riigikogu to form the Government, the third extraordinary session will be held on Monday, starting at 3 p.m. The agenda for the session will include the Government’s oath of office, and the third reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Law of Ship Flag and Registers of Ships Act and the Maritime Safety Act (571 SE), initiated by the Government.
At the second sitting of the extraordinary session today, the Riigikogu passed the Act that approves the protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of Finland and Sweden.
79 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act.
During the debate, Marko Mihkelson from the Reform Party Faction, Jaak Aab from the Centre Party Faction, Jaak Juske from the Social Democratic Party Faction, Urmas Reinsalu from Faction Isamaa and Leo Kunnas from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction took the floor. Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt, acting as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, also made a speech.
The Act on Approval of Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (643 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, approves the protocols that regulate Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty. The permanent representatives of NATO member states signed the accession protocols in Brussels yesterday. After signing, NATO member states have to approve the protocols according to their national legislation. Besides Estonia, Iceland, Canada, Norway and Denmark have approved the protocols by now.
Upon the entry into force of the protocols, NATO Secretary General will communicate to Finland and Sweden a formal accession invitation. During the accession negotiations and ratification process, Finland and Sweden have a special status of an observer, which means a position similar to that of the allies, but without the right to vote. For the period between the accession invitation and accession, both countries have received defence guarantees from the US, the UK, France, Germany and the Nordic Countries that cover joint defence activities, including exercises.
According to the explanatory memorandum, Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO will enhance security in the North Atlantic region and contribute to a united, free, democratic and peaceful Europe. It will also significantly strengthen the security situation of Estonia and the whole Baltic Sea region.
The Bill on the approval of protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of Finland and Sweden passed its first reading at the first sitting of the extraordinary session of the Riigikogu today. The second reading of the Bill is scheduled for the sitting Riigikogu starting at 3.30 p.m. today.
Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt, acting as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said before the Riigikogu that the last two weeks of June, when Ukraine together with Moldova was given the status of candidate country of the European Union and Georgia a clear EU perspective, and historical decisions were adopted at the summit of NATO leaders in Madrid, would stand out in the history of the world.
He pointed out that by inviting Finland and Sweden to join, NATO had opened its doors for the seventh time since the end of the Cold War. “It is in Estonia’s interests that Finland and Sweden join NATO quickly and that both countries integrate smoothly into the political and military structures of NATO. I assure you that NATO’s doors will remail open also to other countries, including Ukraine, and no third country, least of all Russia, can decide who will join NATO and who will not,” he said.
In Sutt’s opinion, Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO will directly strengthen Estonia’s security. “Naturally, this enlargement will not solve all security concerns of Estonia and all three Baltic states. It is clear that the ongoing work within NATO to enhance the security situation of Estonia and our region will continue. It is important to swiftly implement the decisions taken at the Madrid Summit, and today’s ratification is part of this,” he said, and asked the Riigikogu to make a historical decision and vote for the approval of the NATO Accession Protocols with Finland and Sweden. “It is entirely appropriate that Estonia should be among the first countries to complete this process. As a symbol, it is very meaningful and sets an example for other acceding countries. After all, Finland and Sweden are our neighbours and like-minded countries, and we share a long history.
During the debate, Leo Kunnas from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, Mihhail Lotman from Faction Isamaa, Enn Eesmaa from the Centre Party Faction, and Indrek Saar from the Social Democratic Party Faction took the floor.
According to the Bill on Approval of Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (643 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, the Riigikogu approves the protocols that regulate Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty. The permanent representatives of NATO member states signed the accession protocols in Brussels on 5 July. After signing, NATO’s member states have to approve the protocols according to their national legislation.
The second reading of the Bill will take place at the second sitting of the extraordinary session that starts two hours after the end of the first sitting. At the second sitting, a representative of the foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu will present a report and members of the Riigikogu may each pose up to two oral questions to the presenter. After that, a debate will be held, where all members of the Riigikogu may participate, and after possible motions to amend are reviewed, the final vote on the Bill will be held. A majority vote of the members of the Riigikogu will be needed for the Act to be passed.
Upon the entry into force of the protocols, NATO Secretary General will communicate to Finland and Sweden a formal accession invitation. During the accession negotiations and ratification process, Finland and Sweden have a special status of an observer, which means a position similar to that of the allies, but without the right to vote. For the period between the accession invitation and accession, both countries have received defence guarantees from the US, the UK, France, Germany and the Nordic Countries that cover joint defence activities, including exercises.
According to the explanatory memorandum to the Bill, Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO will enhance security in the North Atlantic region and contribute to a united, free, democratic and peaceful Europe. It will also significantly strengthen the security situation of Estonia and the whole Baltic Sea region.
At its extraordinary sitting tomorrow, the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) will discuss ratification of the NATO Accession Protocols with Finland and Sweden.
At the proposal of the Government of the Republic, President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas has convened an extraordinary session of the Riigikogu in the Session Hall of the Toompea Castle on 6 July.
The first sitting of the extraordinary session will start at 12 noon and continue until all items on the agenda have been deliberated. The agenda of the first sitting includes the first reading of the Bill on the Ratification of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (643 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic.
One hour after the end of the first sitting, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu will hold its sitting.
The second sitting of the extraordinary session will begin two hours after the end of the first sitting and continue until all items on the agenda have been deliberated. The agenda of the second sitting includes the second reading of the Bill on the Ratification of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (643 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic.
The delegation of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) participates in the Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Birmingham, UK. The Session takes place from today until next Wednesday and focuses on European security. The Riigikogu is represented at the Assembly by Mati Raidma, Heljo Pikhof, and Marko Šorin.
Head of the Estonian delegation Mati Raidma pointed out that this year the OSCE PA Annual Session was held at the time the member states of the Assembly were facing very complicated challenges due to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. “The debates at the Assembly will focus on war in Ukraine and its impact on European politics,” said Raidma, who participates in the work of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security at the Annual Session. “We must stand firmly by the Ukrainians and support their positions. There must be no room for hesitation in the current European security environment,” he added.
Member of the Estonian delegation Heljo Pikhof underlined that dialogue and cooperation between parliamentarians were essential for overcoming security challenges because a more secure world and stronger democracies could be achieved only by acting together. At the Annual Session, Pikhof participates in the work of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions that will also cover the issues of migration, freedom of the media and combating disinformation.
Member of the delegation Marko Šorin said that besides the war and its impacts, the debates of the parliamentarians will focus on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Šorin participates in the work of the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment.
The 2022 meeting is the first in-person Annual Session since 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Session was cancelled and the 2021 Session was held remotely. The Annual Session will be livestreamed on the Facebook and the YouTube channel of the Assembly.
The aim of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is to increase the involvement of its participating states in resolving European political and security issues in order to enhance civilian control over military affairs and to strengthen the responsibility and influence of members of parliament.
The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the Baltic States, the Nordic Countries, the United Kingdom and Ireland today made a joint statement in which they call on speeding up the delivery of military aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, increasing financial support to the Ukrainian Government and to neighbouring countries hosting the war refugees, as well as beginning of planning for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine.
In the Statement, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees affirm their continuing solidarity with the people of Ukraine and pay tribute to their extraordinary sacrifices in the pursuit of freedom, the territorial integrity of their country and the sovereignty of their democracy. “It is incumbent on us to respond collectively and decisively to a war that seeks to change the status quo through force, and which is already redefining the future of Europe,” they say.
They call on continuing and intensifying the international community’s support to Ukraine—speeding up the delivery of heavy weapons and other military assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in addition to increasing financial support to the Ukrainian Government for its day-to-day spending and to neighbouring countries hosting nearly 5 million Ukrainian refugees. “We further call on governments to begin planning, in close cooperation with the Government of Ukraine, for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine,” the Statement emphasises.
The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees condemn the serial breach of international law and the perpetration of war crimes in Ukraine by the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies. They call on the international community to take all necessary steps to deter Russian military personnel from the further terrorisation of the people of Ukraine, ensuring that those responsible are held to account. “This includes the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Punishment of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine,” the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees say, and consider it necessary to ensure the investigators resources and immediate access to the sites connected with crimes in Ukraine.
The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees also condemn Russia’s weaponisation of food and hunger as tools to increase its power and leverage. “The UN Secretary-General has warned that hundreds of millions of people are at risk of “hunger and destitution” because of food shortages caused by the war. Some 750,000 are already experiencing starvation and acute malnutrition in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. Yet Russia continues its blockade of Black Sea ports, is conducting sustained attacks on grain silos, fertiliser stores and farming infrastructure, and is stealing grain from occupied areas for its own consumption or profit.,” the Statement points out.
The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees call on their governments to work with likeminded partners to enhance our collective security against military and nuclear threats in Europe, linking the High North with the Baltics and the Black Sea, and urgently acting to reduce nuclear risks. They also invite their governments to establish horizon-scanning mechanisms for insidious state threats to our democracies and free-market economies, and to share the insight generated with allies and likeminded partners to create a common threat picture.
The Statement has been signed by the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson signed the Statement on behalf of Estonia.
At today’s extraordinary session, the Riigikogu did not deliberate the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act that was on the agenda, because there were not enough members of the Riigikogu present at the session.
During extraordinary sessions, the Riigikogu has a quorum if more than one half of the members of the Riigikogu, that is, at least 51 members of the Riigikogu are present. However, only 25 members of the Riigikogu registered their attendance at the beginning of today’s session. Thus, the session ended due to lack of quorum.
According to the agenda, the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act (548 SE), initiated by Faction Isamaa, was going to be deliberated at the session. Initially, it provided for lowering the rate of excise duty on unleaded petrol to the minimum level of the European Union, that is, to 359 euro per 1000 litres. The lowering of the excise duty was proposed for one year, that is, from 1 May this year to 1 May 2023.
Before the second reading, the Finance Committee had incorporated into the Bill an amendment involving the entire text of the Bill according to which the excise duty rates on unleaded petrol and diesel fuel would be lowered to the minimum level of the EU from 1 August. The excise duty rates on the components of such fuels will also be lowered to the same level. The excise duty rates on fuels comparable to diesel fuel will be adjusted as well. The excise duty on light heating oil will be reduced to a rate equal to the excise duty on diesel fuel, and the excise duty on diesel-like heavy fuel oil and shale-derived fuel oil will fall proportionally to the excise duty on diesel fuel. In addition, according to an amendment, the increases in the excise duty rates for these fuels that have been published but have not entered into force will be cancelled.
President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas had convened the extraordinary session at the proposal of 24 members of the Riigikogu.
Today and tomorrow, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson participates in the meeting of the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Baltic States, the Nordic Countries, the United Kingdom and Ireland in London, where the next steps in responding to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine will be jointly discussed.
Mihkelson said that both supporting Ukraine and putting pressure on Russia would be discussed at the meeting, and the threats arising from autocracies would also be spoken about more broadly. At the meeting, former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service of the UK Alex Younger will deliver a report on that topic, Senior Associate Fellow of defence and security think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Mark Galeotti will outline the threats from Russia and Professor of Oxford University Rana Mitter will give an overview of issues relating to China. Journalist, writer and historian Anne Applebaum will also speak at the meeting. On Friday, the challenges connected with the Arctic and the polar regions will be discussed at the meeting of the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees with several experts.
Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden participate in the meeting held in London, UK.
At today’s sitting, the last regular plenary sitting of its spring session, the Riigikogu continued the second reading of the Bill raising child benefits. The Riigikogu voted in favour of shortening the working hours of the sitting and two motions to amend the Bill were voted on.
At the beginning of the sitting, which began at 10 a.m., the Estonian Centre Party Faction and the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction moved to conclude the sitting at 10.30 a.m. 61 members of the Riigikogu voted for the motion, one was against and there was one abstention. Thus, the motion was supported.
The second reading of the Bill started in the plenary of the Riigikogu at last Wednesday’s sitting. Starting from that sitting, the Riigikogu has been voting on the motions to amend the Bill and taking ten-minute recesses before votings in all regular sittings.
By the end of today’s sitting, two of the 1191 motions to amend entered on the list of motions to amend had been reviewed, which means that a total of 151 motions to amend have been reviewed. The second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act (619 SE), initiated by 54 members of the Riigikogu, was adjourned due to the end of working hours.
According to the Bill, the child allowance for the first and second child will rise from 60 euro to 100 euro, that is, to the same level as the child allowance for the third and subsequent children. According to the Bill, the allowance for families with many children will rise from 300 euro to 700 euro per month for families with three to six children, and from 400 euro to 900 euro for families with seven or more children. In order that the allowance for families with many children would continue to be proportional to the rise in the standard of living, and that the amount of the allowance would not need to be changed every year, according to the Bill, the allowance will be indexed by 1 April of each year. The value of the index will depend to the extent of 20 per cent on the annual increase in the consumer price index and to the extent of 80 per cent on the annual increase in the receipt of the pension insurance part of social tax.
At present, the payment of the allowance for families with many children stops when the first child attains the age of majority. In the future, however, according to the Bill, it will be paid in the full amount for as long as the family is raising at least three children who are minors. In the case of families with many children, the allowance will be paid to the extent of two thirds of the allowance if two of the children are minors, and to the extent one third if one child is a minor. Before the second reading, the Social Affairs Committee had amended the Bill by adding a provision under which, in the case of a multiple birth, the allowance for families with many children would be paid until the children attain the age of 21 years. The committee had also made the amendment to the Bill under which the single parent’s child allowance would rise to 40 euro.
The Reform Party Faction had submitted about 1660 motions to amend the Bill, and the Social Democratic Party Faction had submitted four. The lead committee had not incorporated the motions. 1191 motions had been entered on the list of motions to amend. About 470 motions, submitted by the Reform Party Faction, requiring amendment of the State Budget for 2022 Act, had been excluded from the list.
15 minutes after the end of today’s sitting, that is, at 10.45 a.m., an additional sitting of the Riigikogu will start where the agenda will include a motion of no confidence in Minister of Education and Research Liina Kersna.
At 9 a.m. on Friday, an extraordinary session of the Riigikogu will start where the agenda will include the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act (548 SE), initiated by Faction Isamaa.
At its today’s sitting the Riigikogu continued to review the motions to amend the Family Benefits Act. By the end of the sitting, the plenary had voted on 117 of nearly 1200 amendments.
At the beginning of the sitting, the Riigikogu observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the 1949 June deportation.
At the beginning of the sitting, Martin Helme submitted to the Riigikogu the motion of no confidence in Minister of Education and Research Liina Kersna. 39 members of the Riigikogu from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction and the Estonian Centre Party Faction have signed the motion of no confidence. Under the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act, a motion to express no confidence in a minister is included in the agenda not earlier than on the second day after the presentation of the motion, unless the Government requests a speedier decision. At its extraordinary sitting today, the Government decided to apply for the motion to be deliberated at the earliest opportunity.
The second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act (619 SE), initiated by 54 members of the Riigikogu, continued at the sitting of the Riigikogu. The Riigikogu has been voting on the motions to amend the Bill and taking ten-minute recesses before votings in all regular sittings since last Wednesday.
The Bill will raise the child allowance for the first and second child from EUR 60 to EUR 100, that is, to the same level as the child allowance for the third and subsequent children. According to the Bill, the allowance for families with many children will rise from 300 euro to 700 euro per month for families with three to six children, and from 400 euro to 900 euro for families with seven or more children. In order that the allowance for families with many children would continue to be proportional to the rise in the standard of living, and that the amount of the allowance would not need to be changed every year, the allowance will be indexed by 1 April of each year. The value of the index will depend to the extent of 20 per cent on the annual increase in the consumer price index and to the extent of 80 per cent on the annual increase in the receipt of the pension insurance part of social tax.
At present, the payment of the allowance for families with many children stops when the first child attains the age of majority. In the future, however, it will be paid in the full amount for as long as the family is raising at least three children who are minors. In the case of families with many children, the allowance will be paid to the extent of two thirds of the allowance if two of the children are minors, and to the extent one third if one child is a minor. Before the second reading, the Social Affairs Committee had amended the Bill by adding a provision under which, in the case of a multiple birth, the allowance for families with many children would be paid until the children attain the age of 21 years. The committee had also incorporated into the Bill the amendment under which the single parent’s child allowance would rise to 40 euro.
The Reform Party Faction had submitted about 1660 motions to amend the Bill, and the Social Democratic Party Faction had submitted four. The lead committee had not incorporated the motions. 1191 motions had been entered on the list of motions to amend. About 460 motions intended to amend the Act on this year’s state budget, submitted by the Reform Party Faction, had been excluded from the list.
The review of the motions entered on the list of motions to amend will continue at the Riigikogu sitting starting at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. The deliberation of all other items on today’s agenda will also be deferred.