The Social Democratic Party (SDE) faction wants to change the law. They want the Riigikogu to decide whether a nuclear power plant will be built in Estonia. Currently, this decision is made by the government.
SDE member Jaak Aab says that a nuclear power plant is a major risk. Therefore, a government decision alone is not enough. He cites Finland as an example, where the parliament makes a separate decision for each nuclear power plant.
According to the current law, the decision is made by the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority. The government then takes its position. The Riigikogu currently has no role in this process.
SDE wants the government to submit its assessment to the Riigikogu. Then the Riigikogu could make the final decision—whether to build the nuclear power plant or not. Aab says that such a major decision cannot be made without the representatives of the people.
Aab recalled that in 2024, the Riigikogu approved the introduction of nuclear energy. At that time, it was said that the parliament should also participate in the decision-making process. However, this has not yet been done.
Some want a referendum to be held on the construction of a nuclear power plant. Aab says he would support it if the question is about the introduction of nuclear energy in general. But in the case of a specific plant, there is still too little information to hold a referendum.
The Reform Party has not yet developed its position on the nuclear power plant. Reform Party member Mario Kadastik says this still needs to be discussed. He does not support holding a referendum on the nuclear power plant. Kadastik believes it is not a big enough issue.