Party leader Martin Helme openly stated that their goal is to obstruct the implementation of the vehicle tax by any means necessary.

Speaking to "Aktuaalne kaamera" Thursday, EKRE leader Martin Helme said: "We had two types of amendments," to the bill in its original form.

"Some were clearly obstructionist, in which we changed specific numbers – these made up the majority. However, about 70 amendments were substantive and aimed at making certain aspects of the tax more favorable for people," Helme went on.

The Riigikogu is to continue breaking into its summer recess on Monday, as an additional extraordinary session has been called to process the second reading of the car tax bill – the stage at which substantive amendments may be made – and if all goes well the third, and final, reading too. Another session can be called immediately to follow Monday's first one, if need be.

This essentially means Monday may be EKRE's last chance to issue any filibuster on this act at least.

"We can try to delay the process by using breaks," Helme said, a tactic the party had used before in the recent past.

"Our session will continue without a set end time. We will start on Monday morning, and go for as long as it takes. We'll discuss our strategy at the party faction meeting on Monday morning, to decide how we will proceed," he went on.

EKRE had submitted the largest number of amendments to the bill, though the Center Party also issued amendments.

Center MP and finance committee vice chair Andrei Korobeinik said these had all been substantive, even as the coalition had categorized them as obstructionist.

"Some amendments suggested that the revenue from the vehicle tax should be allocated to specific areas, such as road construction or increasing support for people with disabilities," Korobeinik told AK.

"However, the coalition considered all opposition proposals to be obstructionist and grouped them together, which meant specific issues cannot be discussed in detail," Korobeinik went on.

A total of nearly 400 amendments were put forward, but only a few dozen made it through to the main chamber for voting.

Ultimately it was the head of state, President Alar Karis, who highlighted one substantive aspect which did indeed need amending in his fiew, namely unequal treatment for people with disabilities, depending on whether their vehicle had been modified or not.

Those disabled people whose vehicle had been modified to enable them to get around were exempt from the car tax under the bill in its initial incarnation; however, disabled people whose vehicles had not been so modified were still liable to pay the tax.

For this reason the president in June sent the bill back to the Riigikogu un-signed, by which time the Riigikogu was on its summer recess – hence the extraordinary session next week.

The Riigikogu's finance committee has sent the revised bill to the chamber ahead of Monday's session but without including tax exemptions for people with disabilities as outlined above.

As to why this was the case, the committee's chair, Annely Akkermann (Reform), said: "Politically speaking it has now been decided that instead of providing tax exemptions, social benefits will be increased by the equivalent amount."

"If we provide tax exemptions, we are essentially giving benefits to wealthier people who have disabilities. Meanwhile, those who don't have a car or cannot use a car at all still would not have their transportation needs addressed financially," Akkermann, a former finance minister, added.

From late spring 2023 the opposition parties an EKRE in particular had conducted a lengthy filibuster at the Riigikogu which had required MPs burn the midnight oil on more than one occasion.

The coalition's response to the filibuster was to bundle legislation and also to tie bills to a motion of confidence in the government. In the latter case this meant that the actual substance of the bill could not be voted on, because the vote was on confidence in the government instead. Since the coalition had a healthy majority of 60 seats then – and an even larger one now – this meant there was little risk of the motion not passing.

Another chance since last year is that EKRE has far fewer seats following an exodus of MPs at the start of summer. This breakaway group have formed their own party, ERK, which is yet to be incorporated.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!