The Riigikogu established a committee of investigation for Russia’s influence activities
At its today's sitting, the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) decided to establish a committee of investigation consisting of representatives from all parliamentary groups to systematically analyse the Russian Federation's influence activities, their financing methods, links to the Estonian public sector, propaganda projects, and the risks associated with them.
73 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu Committee of Investigation to Investigate the Influence Activities of the Russian Federation, the Methods of Financing Them, and the Risks Associated with Them” (770 OE), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Eerik-Niiles Kross, Toomas Uibo, Riina Sikkut, Ants Frosch and Peeter Tali.
According to the explanatory memorandum of the Resolution, Russia’s influence activities in Estonia are part of a broader strategy that seeks to weaken the security and resilience of the Estonian state, targets Estonia’s Russian-speaking population and social cohesion, and spreads narratives that are damaging to the Estonian state and its allies. “The committee will be needed to assess funding chains, identify the potential role of public sector support, analyse the participation of NGOs, individuals and networks, assess the damage to internal security and social cohesion, and make proposals for mitigating risks,” the proposers of the Resolution noted.
According to the Resolution, the committee of investigation will focus on four main topics: the financing of Russia’s influence activities in Estonia, the possible role of the Estonian public sector, the impact of propaganda on Estonia’s population, and the framework of hybrid warfare. Among other things, the committee will have to find out to what extent projects, associations and activities promoting the interests of the Russian Federation have received direct or indirect funding from Estonia’s state agencies, local governments, local government divisions, and companies controlled by them.
The committee will also have to clarify to what extent organizations, associations and individuals operating in Estonia have participated in or been involved in Russia’s influence and divisive activities. According to the amendment made during the proceedings, the committee must also clarify the extent to which companies operating in Estonia have participated in or been involved in Russia’s influence and divisive activities.
The committee’s task will be to provide the Riigikogu with a comprehensive overview of the extent of influence activities and to make proposals for legislative, organizational, and security measures. Together with independent experts, the committee will have to develop proposals on how to prevent and reduce the risks associated with influence and divisive activities, and improve the capacity of authorities to identify threats, as well as make proposals for legal, organizational, and financial changes.
The formation of the committee of investigation will be based on the same principle that has been agreed upon for the establishment of the select committees of the Riigikogu, according to which the coalition and the opposition are equally represented in the committee. The committee will have to submit its final report to the Riigikogu and the public by 1 February 2027 at the latest.
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
[email protected]
Questions: [email protected]
