Jaanus Karilaid, Member of the Riigikogu
Before March 5, society was divided by a public and consciously orchestrated fight between the Reform Party and EKRE. The hope that the voter would punish both of them was not fulfilled. Instead, Kaja Kallas’ team received an advance from the voter. But the worst thing is the fact that this rupture caused by a staged quarrel permeates the psyche of the Estonian common man and paralyzes his activities as the master of his land.
The winner of the election has now publicly admitted that he lied for a better election result. Kaja Kallas initially tried to smooth over the oversight by stating that the constitution does not allow tax issues to be put to a referendum, but it was quickly made clear to her that the Riigikogu elections do not mean a referendum. The Prime Minister then had no choice but to admit that lying was unavoidable, because otherwise others would have won. The talk that the government of Jüri Ratas had brought the state budget into deep red was also rejected by the Reform Party itself. Annely Akkermann, the outgoing finance minister, admitted in an interview to the ERR portal that the previous government knowingly created a deficit of 1.2 billion. It was spent consciously and with gusto, leaving it up to the new government to fix the budget holes. If this is not irresponsible behavior, then…
The dying of rural life
The reform incited the fear of war in the people, EKRE turned refugees into swarms of locusts. The fact that the people of Estonia have been losing economic ground for a long time was not of interest. Now the third government of Kallas wants to dig this socio-economic hole deeper. The extraordinary pension increase has been forgotten, and together with it, the election promise to raise the average old-age pension to 1,000 euros can be crossed out. This shows once again that only the Center Party cares about the elderly.
The competitiveness of the Estonian economy is not an issue, and higher wages should be fueled by inflation, not by the creation of added value. In the coalition agreement, it was written in a specific way of speaking that the minimum wage will rise to 60% of the median wage by 2027. So far, the minimum wage has been agreed upon by representatives of employers and trade unions, I would not like to believe that this role will be transferred to politicians. Another false promise?
The tax cluster is coming, accommodation facilities will have their worst nightmare come true. Kaja Kallas also justified the 13 percent VAT increase for accommodation facilities with the increase in the costs of the Ministry of Defense, not realizing that in this sector, small profits, low salaries and maintaining jobs are a big effort.
As surely as for tax increases, the new government is working towards the extinction of rural life. The construction of four-lane highways, the construction of the Rohuküla railway, and the rental house program were canceled by a large consensus, and the necessary support for rural schools has not been provided. The message is clear – let the people outside the golden circle see for themselves how they manage.
Coping is a priority
In the election campaign, the Center Party was focused on people’s livelihood, and that is why we have a great mandate to keep an eye on the near future of health care and the growth of people’s economic well-being. The Central Party’s council ended the civil strife and this gives a great opportunity to fulfill its role in the opposition in the best way.
The mission of the Center Party is to make the divided country whole again and shape it into a whole. The country must be managed without sowing panic ─ calmly and constructively. This will not be possible until the Center Party is back in the government. The new government does not need plowing time, because they set it up wrong at the very beginning, and instead of forward-looking plans, we get brakes on the economy and blows on people’s purchasing power.
