Kaljulaid: Elections Must Launch Serious Debate on Women's Military Service

Raimond Kaljulaid, a member of the Riigikogu Defence Committee, writes that the national defence report compiled by Major General Veiko-Vello Palm is a valuable document that does not contradict the committee's own defence report. In Kaljulaid's view, the upcoming elections should see a serious discussion of women's military service.

Raimond Kaljulaid, a member of the Riigikogu Defence Committee from the Social Democrats (SDE), believes that the national defence report compiled by Major General Veiko-Vello Palm is worth reading and contains ideas that should be taken seriously. According to Kaljulaid, he initially feared that Palm's text might contradict the report compiled by the Defence Committee members themselves on the same subject, but it turned out that no such contradiction exists.

However, in Kaljulaid's view, the debate on women's military service should be seriously placed on the agenda in the coming elections. In his assessment, the issue is important enough that it can no longer be sidelined, especially given Estonia's security situation and the need to fill gaps in the defence force.

Raimond Kaljulaid is a member of the Riigikogu Defence Committee who has previously also headed the Estonian President's Office and is known as an active commentator on defence issues in the public sphere.