Long Riigikogu night sessions not expected this autumn
Extended Riigikogu sessions lasting late into the night are not expected to take place this fall due to the opposition's loss of leverage. The most important topics are likely to be bills connected to the budget and climate.
Several important bills will go before the members in the coming months, which have already divided MPs' opinions
Õnne Pillak, Reform Party faction leader, told ERR disputes are expected over tax and budget issues.
"I do not think that surprises anyone because there has always been a dispute about the budget. The opposition and the coalition very rarely see common ground there, and it has always been a case of crossing swords. The climate law is getting a lot of attention and I think there will be a lot of controversy there as well, because it is a completely new law, a new direction looking to the future. And I think, in fact, also the changes in the social field, for example, the parental benefit and the change in the support for pensioners living alone," Pillak said.
Over the past couple of years, opposition parties have tried to prevent bills from passing by submitting hundreds of amendments and delaying voting with breaks. But this is not so easy now.
The coalition will not allow pauses between voting on amendments, and in June the Supreme Court dismissed EKRE's complaint on the issue.
EKRE chairman Martin Helme said obstruction is no longer possible.
"All of these most common obstructionist methods have been deactivated. What is left is question time, which I am sure we will use very diligently every Wednesday, also does not work as it used to, because our questions are not brought into the hall on time, so they often lose their topicality and become obsolete. Also in the case of government bills, the grilling of government ministers," Helme said.
Lauri Laats, chairman of the Riigikogu's Center Party faction, said it would still be possible to organize extended sessions, but the coalition has made it difficult.
"The opposition can't just deal with coming up with good ideas. This time, too, for the start of the new season, we will introduce a bank tax again," said Laats.
Isamaa faction Chairman Helir-Valdor Seeder said exactly how the Riigikogu will continue its work will become clear. But there is no desire in the party to push the limits.
"No, we have not come up with any kind of a plan in terms of how to obstruct the Riigikogu or find obstructive means to obstruct the work of the Riigikogu or somehow delay it. We would like to have an open parliamentary debate, and that still presupposes that we have our own bills, our own initiatives and alternative proposals, and that is what we are working for," Seeder said.
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Editor: Karin Koppel, Helen Wright