Estonian parliament's Finance Committee reviews half of 2027 budget amendments

The Finance Committee of Estonia's parliament, the Riigikogu, reviewed roughly half of the amendments submitted to the 2027 state budget bill on Monday, in a meeting attended by all 10 members. The stage determines which proposals go to a vote in the full chamber, where the budget will be adopted.

Committee chair Annely Akkermann of the Reform Party said she was satisfied with the progress. The committee approved a comprehensive amendment prepared by the government but submitted in the committee's name. It allocates €200,000 to the national volleyball team in recognition of its success.

The committee also drafted its own amendment giving an extra €7.47 million to special care services, raising their funding by 13 percent. There is already €57 million allocated for that purpose.

What happens to the other proposals

Most of the remaining amendments, largely submitted by the opposition, were sent to the plenary session without the committee's backing. They can still be voted on in the chamber. For a proposal to be put to a vote, it needs at least two votes in favor within the committee. Some amendments did not reach that threshold, while others did not meet legal requirements and will be removed from the list.

Akkermann said that amendments receiving more support than opposition in the plenary must be incorporated into the budget, which is why legally impossible proposals should not be put to a vote. As an example, she cited withholding from the Health Insurance Fund money that employees have already paid through health insurance contributions.

Dispute over the Center Party's proposal

The opposition Center Party's plan to fund its amendments through a bank tax and a progressive income tax remains contested. According to Akkermann, there are no draft laws or calculations showing that such taxes could bring in €100 million in additional revenue. She criticized the party for not saying who qualifies as rich in Estonia, at what salary level, or what the higher tax rate should be.

Review of the amendments will continue on Tuesday, and the budget's second reading is scheduled for Wednesday. Last week, two extraordinary Finance Committee meetings were canceled because a quorum was not present.