President Alar Karis did not proclaim the amendment to the Military Service Act. He said that the law violates the principle of equal treatment.
Now, the Riigikogu Constitutional Committee and the National Defence Committee will discuss it. They must decide whether to recommend adopting the law unchanged or to amend it.
The Constitutional Committee will decide on December 16. Committee Chairman Ando Kiviberg said that the language requirement raises concerns. The President also thought that the language requirement might help some citizens avoid conscription.
The National Defence Committee will meet on Tuesday. Their head, Kalev Stoicescu, said that they want to resolve the issue quickly. Stoicescu could not say whether the committee will recommend amending the law or not.
Stoicescu said that if the law reaches the Supreme Court, it might be better to make some changes. He also mentioned that the law includes other changes requested by the Defence Forces.
Once the commissions have made their decision, the Riigikogu can also decide. The President stated that the language requirement violates the principle of equal treatment.
If the Riigikogu adopts the law unchanged, the President may send it to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will check whether the law is constitutional.