Last Riigikogu committees get new chairmen
The Riigikogu’s environmental affairs, cultural affairs, and rural affairs standing committees got new chairmen and deputy chairmen on Tuesday. Following the Riigikogu’s ommon practice, the chairmen belong to the ruling coalition, while the deputies are all opposition party members.
Rainer Vakra (SDE) was reelected chairman of the Environmental Affairs Committee. Former EU Affairs Committee chairman Kalle Palling (Reform) was elected his deputy.
The Cultural Affairs Committee will be run by Aadu Must (Center). Laine Randjärv (Reform) was elected his deputy. Randjärv previously chaired the committee, and is also a former Minister of Culture.
The Rural Affairs Committee will be chaired by former Vice President of the Riigikogu and former Minister of Agriculture Helir-Valdor Seeder (IRL). Urmas Kruuse (Reform), who in the last government ran the Ministry of Rural Affairs, will be his deputy.
On Monday, Aivar Kokk (IRL) was elected chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee, the Reform Party’s Toomas Kivimägi was elected Kokk’s deputy. The Social Affairs Committe will be chaired by Helmen Kütt (SDE), and her deputy, Monika Haukanõmm (Free Party). The Legal Affairs Committee will be chaired by Jaanus Karilaid (Center), deputy is Uno Kaskpeit (EKRE).
Chairmen exchanged previously include former Minister of Defence Hannes Hanso (SDE), who now chairs the National Defence Committe, Marko Mihkelson (IRL), who was replaced by Hanso and now chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mihhail Stalnuhhin (Center), who was elected chairman of the Financial Affairs Committee.
Confusion about Stalnuhhin’s plans
Stalnuhhin’s promotion led to the discussion of his continuing refusal to talk to Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR). Leading up to a debate broadcast by ERR’s Russian-language radio station Radio 4 in 2014, it had been agreed that the political parties could replace their candidates for the European Parliament to participate in the debate with another representative if the candidate didn’t speak Russian well enough to keep up.
As a consequence, IRL sent Marko Mihkelson instead of Tunne Kelam, EKRE sent Andres Lillemäe instead of their candidate Martin Helme, and the Independence Party sent Emil Rutiku instead of Vello Leito.
Not to be left the only front-runner participating in the debate, Center Party candidate and then-chairman Edgar Savisaar wanted to send Mihhail Stalnuhhin in his place. But this was rejected by ERR on the grounds that Savisaar’s Russian skills were more than sufficient for the occasion.
After this incident, Stalnuhhin refused to speak with any representative of ERR, which he has kept up since, despite Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center) recently saying that Stalnuhhin’s position as committee chairman required him to talk to the media.
A meeting of ERR management member Ainar Ruussaar with Stalnuhhin, arranged by daily Postimees, didn’t bring any clarification. On the contrary, Stalnuhhin declared after the meeting that he had yielded to the wishes of his party taking on the position of chairman of the Financial Affairs Committee, and that he was actually planning to leave politics.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn