Jaanus Riibe, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Estonian Center Party
On January 12, 2021, Estonia was hit by a political storm when the so-called Porto Franco suspicions became public, after which Jüri Ratas, the former chairman of the Estonian Center Party, resigned from the position of prime minister within a day. Although the first-instance court later acquitted the parties, on Monday the Tallinn District Court overturned the previous acquittal decision of the Harju County Court and made a new one, declaring the parties guilty and imposing a fine of one million euros on the Center Party.
I believe in the legal system of the Republic of Estonia. If the decision remains valid in the Supreme Court, the Central Party must draw conclusions from it. This would certainly be a big blow to the party financially, but the party’s ideological base remains strong. I believe that the Center Party will be able to straighten the lines and come out of this situation stronger than ever. This is what the Center Party has shown in various crises throughout its history. Unfortunately, the shadows of the past hinder the progress of today’s new Center Party.
Even though the Supreme Court, where the Center Party will certainly appeal this decision, has not yet given its opinion, many self-proclaimed oracles began to announce a quick loss for the party. Somewhat surprisingly, several recent leaders of the Center Party are also among them. I would expect from them substantive explanations about the case instead of the joy of loss expressed in the media.
A favorite topic of former center party members
Several former members of the Center Party have found a favorite topic in politics – to discuss the internal affairs of the Center Party and future prospects in the media. Recent statements made by former members of the Center Party regarding the so-called Porto Franco case are surprising, because its content has not changed in the intervening three years, only the court’s interpretation and decision. This was all known a long time ago, and there is very little new here for people who constantly follow the news.
At the same time, the stories about other political parties gathering to discuss the internal affairs of the Central Party with the board seem a little incomprehensible. The last of them is the Motherland. These parties could, above all, give an assessment of the responsibility and moral principles of the former center party members who recently joined their ranks. Despite the recent so-called Porto Franco decision, have the former members of the center party passed the probationary period in their new parties? These values are somewhat optional.
If the Isamaa party is now attacking the Central Party in the Tallinn City Council regarding the so-called Porto Franco, will Isamaa throw out the new member Jüri Ratas from its ranks as a result?
Did Ratas know something more?
Jüri Ratas has also begun to consider the financial condition of the Central Party and its ability to participate in future elections. Jüri, the donation that the court is discussing was made during your watch! It is not ethical that those in charge at the time, who ran over in the meantime, today critically discuss the internal affairs of the Center Party and distance themselves from responsibility.
If this issue was brought up again, I also admit that the position of the district court makes me wonder why Jüri Ratas registered her house in her husband’s name in 2021, while maintaining a lifetime personal right of use to it. Did he know anything more about the so-called Porto Franco affairs than what he thought necessary to share with the party leadership at the time?
When Ratas became the chairman of the Center Party in 2016, he promised to build a new Center Party, but was unable to do so. This year, he abandoned his previous home party and left its problems and the new leader and board of the Center Party to solve.
It is too early for political opponents to rejoice
A clear line must be drawn between the Center Party of Jüri Ratas and the Center Party of Mihhail Kõvart. Kõlvart, the mayor of Tallinn and the new chairman of the Center Party, immediately confirmed that the Center Party plans to challenge the district court’s decision in the Supreme Court. Today’s Center Party is not afraid to take responsibility and comes out of the situation. It is too early for political opponents to rejoice.
The New Center Party is a transparent, modern, strong party that protects the interests of its voters. These values are represented by Mihhail Kõlvart as the leader of the Center Party, he has shown an inclusive leadership style, but also the courage to take responsibility and make difficult decisions, which previous leaders did not have. Kõlvart’s leadership in the capital has received a huge voter mandate, but the previous chairman’s vote yield was on the decline.
There must be a clear understanding here that in each political party the current chairman is responsible. It is also clear that no suspicions, let alone charges, have been brought against those Tallinn city officials who were involved in the process as witnesses. I am sure that if there was something to file against the mayor or the political leadership of the Central Party in the capital, it would have already been done. All other speculations are mere lip service of political opponents and cannot be taken seriously.
Kölvart is not responsible, but he solves it
Kõlvart cannot be responsible for Ratas’s leadership performance, but is forced to solve this crisis and move the party forward as the new chairman. Kölvart does not have to take moral and political responsibility for things that were done before the time of his leadership. He has come to the head of the Center Party to bring this party out of a bad state and raise it to the top league of politics again.
I advise political opponents to focus on the ideological debate instead of reading the Central Party’s budget. Attempts to finally destroy the center party are nothing new, and predictions of the end of the party are already almost weekly – it’s surprising that they still cross the news threshold.
The size of political influence cannot be measured by the size of financial opportunities. The Center Party has always been united by ideas and people, not the budget. This was well illustrated by the anti-car tax demonstration organized by the political party on Sunday, in which hundreds of people participated. The political opponents of the Center Party do not understand that all the money and budget can be taken from the Center Party, but our ideas and voters cannot be taken from us. Voters of the centrist party remain united despite various blows.
