Estonian MEPs' ambitions centered around foreign policy

Of seven Estonian MEPs, four have joined the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Estonian members of the European Parliament are focusing primarily on foreign policy in the current term. As a result, four Estonians – Urmas Paet (Reform), Riho Terras (Isamaa), Sven Mikser (SDE) and Jaak Madison – are members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which does not have legislative power.
Jüri Ratas, the only new Estonian MEP, has joined the Industry, Research and Energy Committee. Marina Kaljurand works in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, where she has been appointed as the first vice-chair. Jana Toom is part of both the Employment and Social Affairs Committee and the Petitions Committee.
Urmas Paet has also been confirmed as the second vice-chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Paet explained, "Given the current situation in Europe, the most significant issues are related to foreign and security policy. Without adequate security, many other matters lose relevance. This might explain why several Estonian MEPs have chosen to work on the Foreign Affairs Committee."
One of the most sought-after positions in the Parliament is on the Agriculture Committee, but there are no Estonian representatives there. This absence could mean that Estonia's interests in agriculture, environment and economic issues may not be adequately represented.
Political scientist Karmo Tüür commented, "There are 20 committees in the European Parliament, and we cannot cover them all. It's beneficial if we can focus on areas that are more critical. However, we could have been represented in agriculture, fisheries and other areas as well."
Jüri Ratas does not see a problem with the concentration of Estonians in the Foreign Affairs Committee. "They probably feel that their role and experience are best utilized there. I believe that energy, competitiveness and economic issues are where I can contribute the most," Ratas said.
Jaak Madison, who aims to block the implementation of green reforms, noted that Estonian MEPs have also shown interest in committees they are not a part of. The distribution of members across committees is not dictated by internal rules but rather is designed to reflect the overall political balance of the Parliament.
Madison explained, "If you ask for what your heart desires, you might not get it. Each political group has a set number of seats on committees based on its size, and it decides internally which members will represent the group in those committees. If there is a high demand from MEPs of different countries within a political group, you may not get what you want."
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Editor: Merili Nael, Marcus Turovski