Honorable President of the Republic of Estonia Alar Karis
The governing coalition has announced that it will link seven bills to a vote of confidence. These drafts will probably not be the last, and in this way the will of the coalition will be further pushed through, including next year’s state budget. Previously accepted as an exception, the activity has become the rule, which we saw already in the spring and which will continue this autumn. Instead of the planned parliamentary debates in the Riigikogu, we have reached a situation where the government takes over the processing of the bill and the decision on proposed amendments, essentially leaving the Riigikogu aside.
Dear President, in June you have clearly stated that the core of our constitution is parliamentary democracy and you have warned the government against the abuse of confidence votes. Today it seems that your concern has unfortunately fallen on deaf ears. Although Parliament is supposed to be the place where decisions are made and held accountable, the government has seized the reins and left Parliament with only a rubber-stamping role. Such a course of action is like a snowball that keeps getting bigger and bigger as it rolls down the hill, destroying the role and credibility of Parliament along the way, but also damaging the institution of the presidency.
Members of Parliament have only two options in confidence votes: to trust the government, which the Center Party faction cannot do primarily because of the short-sighted and inequality-increasing economic policy, but also because of the behavior of the government and its leader; not to support the government and therefore also bills that the party could support. The activities of members of parliament are therefore strongly framed by the government, and the freedom to decide and to have a say in matters important to them and the country has been taken away.
Members of the Riigikogu and the people of Estonia will also be deprived of knowing why and how the government decides one way or another. The open debate, which can be observed by every person in Estonia, now takes place behind closed doors in ministries and Stenbock’s house. The Center Party faction of the Riigikogu has made a number of substantive proposals in the process of the 2024 state budget, and it would be very unfortunate if the government has the opportunity to quietly ignore them just because they are proposals of the opposition.
I appeal to you, Mr. President, to use your influence to the extent possible to resolve the dangerous impasse. Confidence votes or outright obstruction are not the way to go. I ask that you give your assessment of the government’s actions and prevent the opposition from being leveled both in substance and in form. Please put a brake on the destruction of the core of the Constitution.
with respect
Mihail Kõlvart
Chairman of the Estonian Center Party
