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Address by the President of the Republic at the 10th anniversary of the Union of Estonian Associations of Local Authorities on 21 March 2003 at Viljandi21.03.2003
Honourable Leaders of Local Governments,
Advocates and Supporters of Cooperation between Local Governments,
It's the custom with us that on anniversaries we leaf through memoirs books in order to find support in important events of our past and to set ourselves new goals for the future.
Unfortunately, today a quiet contemplation on the progress of and cooperation between the local authorities of our homely Estonia is overshadowed by the war just started in Iraq. We are also worried about the loss of consensus between great powers regarding the solution of the crisis threatening peace and security.
Confrontations between great powers always give rise to concern for they endanger stability and peace in the whole world. But conflicts in today's world affect to a varying extent all countries.
The present situation demands from Estonia deliberate action. For us as a small state, the lessons of history signal possible dangers with respect to the future too. A small state has neither power nor possibilities to influence alone world politics. Therefore, its activities should primarily be directed towards increasing the influence of international organisations and guaranteeing that their resolutions be followed. It is also in the interests of small states to develop cooperation with other states pursuing similar objectives.
Respect for society's fundamental values and their joint defence are basic preconditions for the stable development of both the whole world and every single country. With view to the defence of our national interests, our accession to the European Union and NATO is today more important than ever before.
The European Union and NATO are capable of defending the external peace of our country, our stable and democratic order of life constituting one of our traditional values. However, the internal peace and citizen's sense of security are to be created by our own central and local governments.
Local government is a central support structure bearing stability and sustainability of our society, which has played an important role in building the Estonian nation. Actually, our state was built on foundations of the communal organization of society, supported and advocated in this process by local governments. The restoration of the Estonian state, too, started with reinstatement of local governments since, in this complicated period, the Estonians understood that a well-functioning state must have a well-settled communal basis and structures.
The Union of Estonian Associations of Local Authorities and many other national and county associations of local authorities, which have restored their activities, carry on quite a few of the traditions originating in the long history of our local government. At the same time, we have to ask ourselves whether the expectations of Estonia's residents with respect to a real local government have been met over the last decade, and whether our local government is ready to make use of all possibilities arising from our membership in the European Union?
I have already in my earlier appearances pointed out that the development of the administrative reform launched in 1989 with great expectations, over the last decade, has been accompanied by disagreements about its objectives. The reform plans, which have been drawn up, are often enough not founded on concrete analyses of our needs and possibilities. Also the will to define a well-balanced relationship between the state and local government is sometimes lacking. This has resulted in an insufficient potential of local governments to help people, to support them if necessary, and to improve our human environment.
All these issues are defined by the Constitutions as local issues, but if we don't solve them no progress can be made, and this weakens substantially the potential of local government as a democratic pillar of society to reproduce fundamental values of society.
However, one cannot overlook that the initiative of local governments and associations formed by them, and also the cooperation between them could be more productive. It seems that, all too often, hope is placed on the activities of central authorities of the state only. This, for instance, has been exemplified by how many of the promises made before the last election of local government councils melted away with the advent of spring. Or, on top of that, by prolonged run-up to establishing a research centre of local government, although its work definitely helped to create a model of administrative system based on local governments that would correspond to the needs of society.
In the last summer, desiring to promote strategic and regionally balanced development of local government, I called into being President's Roundtable of Local Government and Regional Development. The roundtable has also discussed the key problems connected with our national agreement, one of them being cohesion between a state following the principles of the rule of law and civil society.
On 20 February, representatives of political parties, citizens' associations, the Estonian Academy of Sciences, and universities governed by public law signed a memorandum, by which they undertook to specify the roles of national authorities, local governments and citizens' associations in safeguarding Estonia's sustainability.
The national agreement has to define the functions and responsibilities of the state and local government, and to determine the directions for the substance and legal regulation of the administrative reform. As a result, the influence of rural municipalities on planning the development of counties and their role in governing the counties should increase.
A stable revenue basis is the engine of local government's development. Yet this engine can stop if the debates about changing the revenue basis and expenditure to revenue ratio of the state consider the interests of central authorities only. Thus, the influence of these changes on the revenue basis of local governments can under no circumstances be ignored.
The new membership of the Roundtable of Local Government and Regional Development scheduled to assemble in the near future is going to seek in collaboration with the President's Academic Council solutions to these problems too. And I am sure that in doing this they will be open to all your suggestions as well.
The Constitution of the Republic of Estonia recently amended by the Riigikogu provides local government councils elected from 2005 onwards authority to arrange local life for four years. However, the provided authority must also be guaranteed by new possibilities and be linked to the responsibility of persons elected. In this respect, we place our expectations on the newly elected Riigikogu.
In the next days, I will start consultations with all political parties elected to the Riigikogu in order achieve parliament's support to a workable government. I am hopeful that the basis of the Government to be formed will be the wish to ensure the survival of Estonia as a nation, its sustainable development, and considerate cooperation between our national and local government.
The activities of the Union of Estonian Associations of Local Authorities over the first decade of its existence have produced a multitude of new ideas and possibilities. I believe that your further activities will lead to a closer cooperation between all Estonian local authorities and their associations for the sake of our people's secure and peaceful future.
I wish all of you a great success in pursuing this aim.
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