The Riigikogu introduced the change last year, but it was rejected by the president, who sent the legislation back to the parliament for further development.

The National Defense Committee and the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) strongly support introducing a language requirement for conscripts.

Members of the Riigikogu have now decided that conscripts who cannot speak Estonian at the B1 level must take mandatory courses at the Integration Foundation.

Dmitri Moskovtsev, head of the Integration Foundation, explained how the changes will work.

"The Defense Resources Agency will check who has the required level of language proficiency, and if they do not, they will refer those individuals to us. We would then find out who these young people are who need language instruction, and a place in a language course would be reserved for them," he told Wednesday's "Aktuaalne kaamera."

The state will cover the costs of two language tests, as well as one language course that lasts up to a year. Travel expenses will also be reimbursed.

Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200), chair of the National Defense Committee, said: "If we are talking about roughly 200 conscripts in terms of language instruction and this process, then the maximum cost should be somewhere around €400,000 per year, so I think this is not such a huge sum that we should worry, considering how much we actually spend on national defense as a whole."

The Integration Foundation can teach up to 3,000 people per year, so conscripts are not expected to overburden the system. Additionally, the number of young people without language skills is expected to decline in the coming years following reforms to the education system.

However, Raimond Kaljulaid (SDE), a member of the National Defense Committee, said it remains unclear how there are still people who have not acquired the necessary level of Estonian after nine years of weekly classes.

"The reason can be one of two things, either they do not want to learn or they are simply so slow that they are unable to learn. I fear that with those whose heads simply do not work, there may not be much to do, but those young men for whom it has so far come down to a lack of will, perhaps this kind of state pressure will help them acquire the language, but how effective it will be, time will tell," he said.

Narva resident Aleksei outlined his experience to "Aktuaalne kaamera." He said he did not study hard enough to pass the exam in high school and is now actively preparing to take it again. Additionally, Aleksei said more people in Narva speak Estonian now, which helps.

He believes that if young people have the will to learn, "everything is possible." Aleksei added: "And I think that many people have a desire to learn Estonian."

The National Defense Committee does not believe low language skills will become a way to dodge conscription. However, if necessary, the state can take extra measures.

"All of these options depend on how repeated it is. The law also provides for penalty payments, fines, and the suspension of various permits, driver's licenses, fishing permits," Stoicescu said.

The language requirement will take effect on January 1 of next year, and the first young people to complete the language course will be able to begin military service in the middle of next year.

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