Thirty-three MPs, just under a third of the Riigikogu, have pledged to vote in favor of a bill aimed at banning fur farms in Estonia. MPs from most of the parties represented have said they will support the legislation change, which will be put before the chamber for its third and final reading next week.
Annaliisa Post, spokesperson for animal rights group Loomus, said: We are pleased that the members of the Social Democratic Party (SDE), the Reform Party, the Conservative People s Party of Estonia (EKRE) and the Center Party have already promised to vote in favor of the bill. This proves that the issue is important for all parties and that it is time to finally ban fur farms.
Influence activity pursued by the People s Republic of China is a threat to academic and press freedoms. A public letter to the Riigikogu, government, boards of Estonian universities, independent research institutions, journalistic publications and all scientists, teachers, journalists, culture workers and politicians in Estonia.
The growing and expanding global influence activity of the People s Republic of China aimed at academic Chinese studies and the free press coverage of events in China has become obvious and echoed loudly in the media and monitoring reports.
China has targeted researchers, journalists and institutions whose activities it regards as hostile. This chiefly concerns sensitive topics for China, such as repressions – that some believe to exhibit tokens of genocide – in Tibet, Inner Mongolia and East Turkestan (Xinjiang),
Wednesday saw the first meeting of the Riigikogu MS Estonia shipwreck support group that hosted State Secretary Taimar Peterkop and head of the former investigative committee Margus Kurm. Peterkop told members of the committee of recent developments and differences in legislation of the countries involved.
The meeting concentrated on cooperation between Estonia, Finland and Sweden and the fact that laws of the latter two make diving to the wreck impossible.
Peterkop told ERR after the meeting that there are no legal hurdles in Estonia. We have carried out an expert analysis in terms of the state s and technical capacity, scientific and private sector means. So we would have a clear picture once things get underway, the state secretary added.
No one can take the European Union hostage, former Vice President of the European Commission Siim Kallas said on Wednesday when a veto by Poland and Hungary threatened the use of €1.8 trillion for the benefit of all 27 member states. Looking at the last 30 years, Kallas finds embracing parliamentary democracy to have been Estonia s greatest achievement.
The EU currently has 27 members. How many will there be two years from now?
(Bursts out in laughter) Well… I believe it will still be 27. But you never know and it depends on certain developments regarding the next [EU] budget… But I reckon it will be 27.