At Question Time of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Mikser answered the question of Member of the Riigikogu Arno Sild about the infringement procedure initiated by the European Commission against the Central European countries regarding the refugee redistribution quotas.

“As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I look with great concern at this possible coming legal dispute on the refugee redistribution quotas,” Mikser said. In the opinion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, this puts the internal solidarity and unity of Europe under strong pressure, and is not in the interests of Estonia as one of the member states. Mikser added that Estonia had expressed its position by participating in the refugee resettlement mechanism.

Mikser explained that the right of the European Commission to initiate infringement procedures directly arose from the basic treaties of Europe. “If the Commission is of the opinion that a member state has not met the obligations arising out of the basic treaties, it will present its reasoned opinion about the situation, and if the member state in question does not follow that opinion, the Commission can also bring an action against the state before the European Court of Justice,” he explained.

According to Mikser, Estonia fully respects the principle that the obligations arising from the legal acts have to be fully observed. Mikser also answered the question of Andres Herkel about Social Democracy on the political landscape of Europe.

At Question Time, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas answered the question of Hanno Pevkur on foreign policy, the question of Jürgen Ligi on the language policy of Estonia, and the question of Mart Helme about the Minister of Finance.

Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kadri Simson answered the question of Artur Talvik about the Rail Baltic.

Jüri Ratas also answered the question of Urmas Kruuse about holding the Volleyball World Championship third round tournament in Estonia and the question of Martin Helme about the Minister of Finance, and Kadri Simson also answered the question of Andres Ammas about Rohuküla railway.  

Verbatim record of Question Time (in Estonian): http://stenogrammid.riigikogu.ee/et/201706141300

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