The Riigikogu started its last regular working week of the spring session in a tense atmosphere
The Riigikogu started the deliberation of the Bill on family benefits which had been declared to be a matter of confidence in the Government which was adjourned due to the end of the working hours of the sitting at 12 midnight. It will continue at tomorrow’s sitting.
According to the Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and to the Act on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act, the Family Law Act and the Employment Contracts Act (17 SE), initiated by the Government, from 1 January 2024, the allowance for families with many children will be 450 euro per month for three to six children, and 650 euro per month for families with seven or more children. The Bill will repeal the regulation on gradual termination of the payment of allowance for families with many children, according to which the allowance is paid until the youngest child of the family attains 19 years of age. The indexing of the allowance for families with many children with the pension index, which was due to enter into force on 1 May 2024, will be abandoned. The Bill will increase the maintenance allowance paid by the state from 100 euro to 200 euro per month from 1 January 2024.
On its sitting on 8 June, the Government had decided to declare the passing of the Bill submitted to the Riigikogu a matter of confidence before the second reading. The Government made two amendments to the Bill. The first amendment concerns the gradual termination of the payment of allowance for families with many children. As legal experts have expressed suspicions of unequal treatment and have doubted the constitutionality of the provision as regards the transitional regulation, it was decided to omit from the Bill the provision under which only those who were entitled to it before 1 July would have been paid the allowance for families with many children to the extent of 1/3 and 2/3 until the end of this year. According to an amendment, the system for the gradual termination of the payment of the allowance will end for all recipients of the allowance on 31 December 2023, and all families who have become entitled or will become entitled to it this year will be paid the allowance until the end of this year. Second, the Government proposed to enforce the whole Act from 1 January 2024.
After the Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo had made her report and replied to the questions of members of the Riigikogu, the debate began. Tõnis Mölder (Centre Party), Kersti Sarapuu (Centre Party), Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski (Centre Party), Andre Hanimägi (Centre Party), Rene Kokk (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Priit Sibul (Isamaa), Varro Vooglaid (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Mart Maastik (Isamaa), Tõnis Lukas (Isamaa), Jaak Valge (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Henn Põlluaas (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Riina Solman (Isamaa), Kalle Grünthal (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Irja Lutsar (Estonia 200), Helle-Moonika Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Ants Frosch (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Anti Poolamets (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Aivar Kokk (Isamaa), Rain Epler (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Mart Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Tanel Kiik (Centre Party), Evelin Poolamets (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Andres Metsoja (Isamaa), Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa), Arvo Aller (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Martin Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Jaanus Karilaid (Centre Party), Jaak Aab (K), Vadim Belobrovtsev (Isamaa), Alar Laneman (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor. The debate will continue at tomorrow’s sitting before the final vote.
The Riigikogu passed a Resolution
With the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of Members of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council Who Are Members of the Riigikogu” (229 OE), submitted by the Cultural Affairs Committee, six representatives of the Riigikogu were appointed to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council.
They are Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party Group, Tõnis Mölder from the Estonian Centre Party Group, Valdo Randpere from the Estonian Reform Party Group, Marek Reinaas from Estonia 200 Parliamentary group, Priit Sibul from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Varro Vooglaid from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group.
The Estonian Public Broadcasting Council consists of members of the Riigikogu and acknowledged experts in the field of activity of the Public Broadcasting. Under the law, on the proposal of the Cultural Affairs Committee, the Riigikogu appoints one representative from each faction of the Riigikogu until the date of termination of the authority of the composition of the Riigikogu, and four experts from among the acknowledged experts in the field of activity of the Public Broadcasting whose authority continues for five years.
Peeter Espak, Viktor Trasberg, Sulev Valner and Chairman of the Council Rein Veidemann are members of the Council who are acknowledged experts in the relevant field of activity.
73 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Resolution.
The second reading of a Bill and replying to three interpellations that had been scheduled for Monday’s sitting will take place at tomorrow’s sitting.
The Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act and the Act on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act and the Income Tax Act (215 SE), initiated by the Government, will amend the principles for the allocation of income tax to local governments.
The Bill proposes that the income tax allocated from the state pension of a resident natural person in 2024 be increased from 1.88 per cent to 2.5 per cent. At the same time, the income tax allocated from other taxable income, except for the mandatory and supplementary funded pension and gains derived from the transfer of property, will be reduced from 12.06 per cent to 11.89 per cent. Income tax is received into the budget of the local government of the residence of the taxpayer.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will reply to the interpellations concerning the means-tested basis of family benefits (No. 1), the treacherous reduction and repeal of allowances for families with many children (No. 7) and the state budget deficit (No. 10).
Today’s sitting of the Riigikogu began with the submission of interpellations and the delivery of Bills and draft Resolutions which lasted for an hour and a quarter. After that, President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar declared a recess. A meeting of the Board was held to discuss the issue relating to the conclusion of the opening of the sitting in order to start the deliberation of the Bills and draft Resolutions and interpellations on the agenda. As the Board was not unanimous and there was no consensus, a vote to stop the submission of interpellations and the delivery of Bills and draft Resolutions at the ongoing sitting was held. With 56 votes in favour and 3 against, the deliberation of the Bills on the approved agenda began. Seven interpellations and eight Bills were delivered at the beginning of the sitting.
The sitting ended at 12 midnight on 13 June.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu. (Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)
Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal, +372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
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Questions: [email protected]
