Gallery: Isamaa confirms 2023 election campaign platform at party council
Isamaa held a party council on Saturday, where it also confirmed the party's election campaign platform for the Riigikogu elections being held this March.
Speakers during the public portion of the party council included party chair Helir-Valdor Seeder as well as Urmas Reinsalu, Mart Maastik, Lea Danilson-Järg and Tõnis Lukas, who introduced various items included in this year's election platform.
Isamaa's 2023 election platform centers around four main issues — national defense, family policy, education and culture as well as people coping and the development of a sustainable, environmentally friendly and competitive economy.
According to party chair Helir-Valdor Seeder, as much of the state budget must be allocated to national defense spending as needed for the development of the necessary capabilities as quickly as possible, including more than 3 percent GDP if necessary, for which national defense loans may be used as well.
The party wants to implement a family-based income tax reform that would grant a family a tax exemption of €5,000 per minor child. Isamaa also plans on reinstating spouses' joint income tax returns as well as increasing parental pensions.
"We will increase first and second child benefits to €100 per month, equalizing all child benefits," Seeder said in his speech at the party council.
According to the Isamaa chair, conditions must be created for people that would allow them to get by on their own, and to support livelihoods and the national economy.
"That means combating inflation and high energy prices," he explained. "This is a matter of not just economic policy but also security as well."
Isamaa wants to facilitate investments in energy security, the development of production capacities and increasing security of supply. The party also intends to change the pricing of the universal electricity service so that the price of universal service electricity would depend on whether the market price or the universal service is cheaper.
The party submitted its candidate lists to the State Electoral Office (RVT) on Wednesday.
The 2023 Riigikogu elections, in which all of the Estonian parliament's 101 seats are up for election, will be held on Sunday, March 5.
MPs are elected to the Riigikogu for a four-year term.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla