Mihhail Kõlvart, chairman of the Center Party
I believe that the wish of all of us is that the year 2024 will be more peaceful and offer more reasons to feel joy and satisfaction. We have to admit that in the past year there were many challenges for both Estonia and the Center Party.
In order to look forward, I think it is important to first look at the past. Riigikogu elections were held in March. It is safe to say that we tried hard and each of our candidates gave their best. We saw it clearly in cities and municipalities, on the streets all over Estonia. Unfortunately, these elections did not bring us the success we hoped for.
However, the aftermath of the election showed that the parties have important differences and there is a big difference in who is the prime minister and who forms the coalition. The policy of Kaja Kallas’ government brought tax increases and people were deceived, because promises were not only forgotten, but what had already been decided was changed. Even worse, the political culture took an unfortunate turn for the worse, which was fueled by both the government parties and the prime minister, as well as outright obstruction in the parliament, to which the Center Party tried to find constructive and real solutions. Estonia’s economy showed a cancerous growth and economic forecasts worsened. Budget deficit became the main keyword, while people’s well-being and confidence decreased.
The world didn’t stop. Unfortunately, the past year did not offer solutions, but suffering. The war started by Russia in Ukraine continued, and the conflict in Gaza took a brutal turn when terrorists attacked Israeli citizens and guests.
It was a pivotal year in many ways.
The past year brought a lot of introspection to the Center Party. In September, the party’s congress was held, where a new chairman and board were elected. It was a difficult congress, preceded by a sorry campaign. In one way or another, intentionally or unintentionally, the party was hurt, and unfortunately, we have to admit that the reverberations of the Congress will also be heard in the new year. I am sorry that we have not been able to guarantee a complete degree of peace of mind at work, but every day we have moved step by step towards a better tomorrow.
With a successful campaign, in which we called on Kaja Kalla to resign, we showed that by working together, the party can speak to and mobilize people. I want to thank everyone who contributed and was active. Likewise, I want to thank everyone who has been on the streets and shared Midweek, participated in various events of the party, or traditionally brought pretzels for the holidays to those who have to be at work instead of spending time with their families. Every right step and every good word gives a positive boost, and we see that the party’s rating has stabilized and increased after difficult times.
I am glad that the Kesknädal newspaper is well received and appears regularly. We will do our best to have and remain our own newspaper and to become even more accessible throughout Estonia. In addition, last year we started a radio show, which summarizes what happened in politics at home and elsewhere on a weekly basis. Changes in the financing of the regions are expected, with the aim of strengthening their capacity. I am happy to announce that we are restoring the traditional New Year’s event, and already in February everyone is invited to a joint meeting, where we will set goals and exchange ideas for the new year. We will announce more details soon.
Last year was difficult, but I hope that a lot of difficulties are in the past, and a lot of positive things are waiting for us. But nothing comes naturally. There are certainly many challenges in the beginning of the year, we have to work hard to come out of them stronger. Thank you in advance to everyone who is ready to welcome this year with the desire to contribute to the success of Estonia’s largest and oldest political party!
Happy New Year!
