The expansion of the Nursipalu training ground will turn the region’s previous identity upside down, and allocating reconciliation millions is like filling in a box, silencing mouths, says Ester Karuse. The deputy elected from South-East Estonia adds that the coalition, which uses rolling politics, ignored the amendments submitted by the Center Party faction, which would have allowed the tensions to be eased and the parties to find a common ground. Therefore, the Center Party faction of the Riigikogu voted in favor of interrupting the second reading of the bill initiated by the Government of the Republic.
“We have made an effort to add new jobs, more public services and young families to establish a home in South-East Estonia. Still in order to get away from the city noise and enjoy a nature-friendly living environment,” he says Ester Karuse. “If the Nursipalu expansion plan comes to fruition in this form, we will take an important step back in the development of the region. Who are the people who want to build their lives in an area where you can hear the roar of cannons? What development directions and future plans can a local entrepreneur set? What about the beautiful natural environment that still attracts people to the area? A decision in the great hall of the parliament is born as if in a blink of an eye, but a few hundred kilometers away, it has a clear effect on future generations as well.”
According to Ester Karus, the Reform Party government is forcefully bypassing the current planning law, which would give local people confidence that the expansion works would be carried out taking into account all the accompanying effects. “This is careless state governance, which the Reform Party also applies to tax increases. Government members have avoided the topic of what effect the expansion of Nursipalu will have in the long term on Võru County and Southeast Estonia as a whole. We have a great living environment with its cultural distinctiveness, beautiful nature and local people. The plan to expand Nursipalu will turn the region’s previous identity on its head,” states Ester Karuse, who is also a member of the Valga parish council.
“We have a lot to learn from this case. People need to be communicated with and involved in the process from day one. Today, it is not too late to restore trust between the state and the community. Let’s take a few steps back and start the inclusion process, which is elementary in the third decade of the 21st century,” says Ester Karuse.
