The chairman of the National Defense Committee, Kalev Stoicescu, says that the aim of the bill is to create a comprehensive system that works both in peacetime and wartime.
The lead sponsor of the bill has been Mati Raidma from the Reform Party. But on February 10th, four MPs with a defense background managed to push through a comprehensive amendment package.
These amendments are now causing sharp disagreements. Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur says that the new proposals are full of contradictions and cannot be used to make law.
Pevkur emphasized that they will try to remove the amendments from the bill during the second reading. If this fails, the initiator of the bill may withdraw it.
The Defense Minister does not find it strange that colleagues' proposals will need to be voted down in the plenary hall. This has happened before.
Alar Laneman noted that the debates and votes in the committee are a sign of normal workflow, not rebellion. He says that substantive disputes are part of parliamentary practice.
Raimond Kaljulaid does not believe that a new compromise will be reached in the committee. He thinks that the coalition needs to find additional support in the plenary to vote down the amendments.
Priit Sibul warned that the current bill is unacceptable. He said that the amendments create legal confusion that could hinder the state's response to a crisis.
Peeter Tali stressed that the amendments are necessary to ensure Estonia's readiness for crises and war. He said that state institutions should not ignore critical tasks.
Laneman said that the responsibilities of ministries and institutions must be clearly stated in the law. He emphasized that in the future, it should not happen that a state institution leaves important tasks unfulfilled.
Kaljulaid objected that the MPs' desire to write the responsibilities of state institutions into law is dangerously rigid in practice. He asked whether the law should be remade with every new government.
Sibul warned that an "all-in-one" law may not be the best solution. He said that it could be contrary to the constitution.
Laneman rejected claims that this could be a "generals' rebellion". He said that a vote took place in the committee, not a rebellion.
Currently, the process is at a standstill. Sibul said that a solution may come, but the process is dragging on. Due to unexpected proposals, it was decided not to send them to the second reading.
If the bill moves to the plenary, the coalition will have to start voting down the amendment proposals of its members. This could lead to the interruption of the second reading.
The sponsors of the bill are optimistic. Tali said that the purpose of the amendments is to improve the bill and it can be adopted before Midsummer Day.
Defense Minister Pevkur does not share this optimism. He said that the bill will be withdrawn if necessary.
This is already the second attempt to pass a similar bill. The previous attempt in 2021 also fell through due to disputes.