The National Defense Committee has set up a dedicated working group to find a solution for conscripts who aren't sufficiently proficient in Estonian to serve.

Committee chair and MP Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200) said one option under discussion is lengthening conscription service for those who don't speak Estonian well enough when they report for duty.

He said the preferred approach would be to give young people the chance to learn Estonian before entering conscription service — and ideally on a voluntary basis.

"What would be best is if someone realized on their own that they'll have to serve conscription duty anyway, once they've already been selected by the Defense Resources Agency (KRA), are of the appropriate age and have been informed in advance," Stoicescu said. He added that ideally, at that point, they would take the initiative to start learning the language on their own.

Still, he noted, it's unrealistic to expect everyone to be self-motivated, "so there still needs to be some kind of enforcement mechanism." Exactly what form that might take remains unclear.

Paraphrasing former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, Stoicescu said, "'It doesn't matter what color a cat is, as long as it catches mice.' That is precisely our goal: that conscripts have at least B1-level Estonian proficiency when they begin their military training."

Security expert: System should be more flexible

Former Defense Ministry undersecretary and security expert Meelis Oidsalu said extending service or introducing some sort of enforcement mechanism may not be strictly necessary.

He suggested the KRA could grant language-based deferments, similar to those given to call-up selectees for health reasons prior to entering conscription service.

Under this approach, recent high school graduates who clearly lack sufficient Estonian skills after finishing school could be called up later and retested.

"It's quite likely that even if someone doesn't speak Estonian when they finish school, they'll pick it up later to some extent to meet labor market requirements," Oidsalu said. People like that, he argued, should not be excluded from service.

"There's no reason for a blanket ban on their eligibility," he said, adding that the system could be "more flexible, trusting and inclusive" toward Estonian citizens who don't yet speak the language.

Minister: Conscription could be extended three to six months

"The thing is, you can't force an adult to attend school," said Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200).

She noted that university programs or, for example, conscription service could require language study, but outside of such contexts, you can't simply make it mandatory for an adult to learn Estonian.

"They might not pick up the language at all, so then they just wouldn't end up showing up for conscription," she added.

Kallas believes conscripts who aren't proficient in Estonian should learn the language during service, but that language training should come first and their overall service be extended accordingly. She said they are looking at potential extensions of up to six months to accommodate language studies.

"For some, it might be three months; for others, six," she noted. "It depends on how quickly they learn the language."

Kallas emphasized that language training would need to be intensive, given the short timeframe. "It could also be linked to ongoing military exercises, not just sitting in a classroom," she added.

The education minister acknowledged that B1-level Estonian is a skill everyone should ideally be acquiring through the country's education system, but since that still isn't currently the case, non-speakers need to learn the language another way.

"The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) has been a place where language training has worked fairly well, but under the current concept of military service, it can no longer be done simultaneously," she explained.

Deferments may not be the answer either. "This presumes they would pick up the language in their everyday life, but experience shows they don't," Kallas said. "Many just remain in Narva or on the Russian-speaking job market and never pick up Estonian."

Making language training part of Estonian military service, however, would support both conscripts' skill development and broader integration efforts.

"Simply imposing a language requirement without providing a way to learn it could push people away from military service," Kallas said, warning it could lead to increased alienation and marginalization of people who may lack the skills to fully participate in society.

If conscripts can learn Estonian as part of their service, she added, by the time they've completed their military service, they've gained not only military skills, but also the Estonian proficiency they need to succeed in higher education and on the job market.

Language requirement vetoed

The National Defense Committee recently removed a provision from a bill that would have required conscripts to have at least B1-level proficiency in Estonian, opting instead to pursue the language requirement through a separate bill.

The original law of amendments, adopted in November, cited the complexity of training, weapons systems and specialized terminology.

President Alar Karis vetoed the law in December, citing constitutional concerns over equal treatment. Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise backed Karis in questioning the legislation, which the president sent back to the Riigikogu for review.

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