Meelis Kiili: National Defence Starts Before Crisis Strikes

Riigikogu member Meelis Kiili (Reform Party) argues that effective national defence cannot begin at the moment crisis hits, but must start much earlier. What matters is how the state is structured, how responsibility is distributed, and whether the governance system functions under pressure.

The effectiveness of national defence does not depend solely on what is done during a crisis – it depends above all on what has been done before. This is the view of Meelis Kiili, a Riigikogu member from the Reform Party, who is drawing attention to the systemic foundations of Estonia's crisis readiness.

According to Kiili, the roots of national defence and crisis management capacity lie in the structure of the state itself: how responsibilities are allocated, how clear governance is, and whether the entire system can function under pressure. These are not questions that can be answered only once the situation has become critical.

Against this backdrop, it is important to note that Estonia has made significant investments in recent years in both national defence and civil crisis preparedness. At the same time, Kiili points out that at the legislative and institutional level, there must be continuous assessment of whether existing mechanisms meet actual needs.

The Riigikogu member's message is clear: a resilient state is not built in panic, but through consistent work in peacetime. Crises come unexpectedly, but preparedness for them is a strategic choice made every day.