"We should extend our congratulations to those diligent police and law enforcement officials who raised this issue from their point of view — they scored a clear win over members of parliament here," Kiviberg said.

"It is obvious that the withdrawal of this bill was the result of that very critical public debate. Too many MPs began to fear being labeled as favoring corruption," he added.

Despite this, Eesti 200 believes the issue should continue to be pursued, emphasizing that the proposal is the result of long deliberation, not a spontaneous decision.

Kiviberg stressed that the amendment to the Anti-Corruption Act, which would decriminalize procedural restrictions violations where the damage or benefit is less than €40,000, concerns only this narrow field, while all other forms of corruption — such as bribery or trading in influence — remain criminal offenses. According to Kiviberg, legal ambiguity in this area has led to people being subjected to lengthy proceedings without convictions and the goal was to introduce clearer boundaries. The proposal, he said, had broad support in the Riigikogu and was based on expert input.

He argued that setting a threshold — where cases without clear harm or unlawful benefit would be treated as misdemeanors — would make the system fairer and more efficient. Critics' examples suggesting corruption could become profitable are misleading, he said, since such acts could still be prosecuted under other provisions. He also explained that current law already uses financial thresholds, though investigators now assess total transaction value rather than actual harm or gain.

The politician acknowledged shortcomings in communication, including insufficient consultation with law enforcement on the final wording and said this should have been handled better. Authorities, he noted, prefer broader discretion, while lawmakers must weigh societal impact.

Kiviberg warned against Estonia drifting toward a "police state," arguing that elected officials — not officials — should make political decisions.

"None of us want Estonia to become a police state and I fear we are heading in that direction if we do not draw the line in time on these issues. What has happened now is that, in this matter, police officials have effectively begun to lead the state — and I do not think that is appropriate or right," he said.

"I want to live in a country where the laws and decisions that affect us all are made by people we have elected, not by appointed officials. Officials play a very important role in keeping the state functioning and developing, but political choices must be made by those who have been given the mandate to do so," he added.

Kiviberg has not yet decided whether he will run in the next Riigikogu elections.