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Address by the President of the Republic to the 2nd Forum of the Parties to the National Agreement on 9 September 2003
09.09.2003


Distinguished Representatives of the Parties to the National Agreement,
Ladies and Gentlemen,


On 20 February, the representatives of 39 organisations signed a memorandum of Estonian National Agreement. I suppose that in supporting this manifestation of goodwill they were motivated by rather different reasons.

A large proportion of signatories realized the pre-crisis situation of today's social environment in Estonia. The roots of the low fertility rate characterizing this environment lie in an increasing regional and educational disparity and widening rich-poor divide. In this environment, we can also see alienation from power and insecurity regarding the future. That's why young people even give up the idea of creating a family and having children. According to the last research results, the Estonians' sense of national identity is weaker than in any other candidate or member country of the European Union. Therefore, Estonia's new direction of development can only be movement to a greater sociality.

There were certainly those among the parties who acceded to the memorandum considering, first of all, the realities of day-to-day politics. Different approaches are caused by different positions on the issue of maintaining balance in society and on how to do that. There are politicians for whom society is an agglomeration of individuals, each of which has his place and obligations in the whole formed in this way. Many are used to see balance in the separation of powers and reciprocal balancing based on that.

However, there is a third way of approaching and conducting politics. I have for decades engaged myself with problems of nature and conservation and, therefore, learned to view the environment we are living in as a homogeneous ecosystem. And that's why an ecological approach to politics, valuing the third party of society - a network of families, associations and voluntary organisations, is close to my heart.

While the sole hegemony of political parties in making power decisions and their identification with state authority turn the rest of society into passive servants, the third party is a balancing factor here. It plays an essential role in daily life and in making decisions important to all of us. Should the third party be too weak, this may lead to a widening of the gap between individuals, society and the state.

We can say that these circumstances have been recognized in Estonia since the Riigikogu late last year endorsed a plan for the development of civil society. On the other hand, until today it has remained a mere wad of paper, for the Government, as yet, has not formed the needed joint committee together with citizens associations.

Dear Representatives of the Parties to the Agreement,

The National Agreement is the first step deriving from the concept of civil society. Conclusion of the Agreement must confirm the existence of a political will that is capable of overcoming party-political interests and directed to safeguarding the survival of society as a whole. The development of Estonia would speed up if our society valued empathy and tolerance more than so far.

Hitherto, over one hundred experts have worked to enable us to achieve the National Agreement. The project born out of their joint efforts and the active participation of the parties to the agreement contains our indisputable priorities: child, family and education. The Agreement as a fundamental turn in our concept of society and political culture will be a step toward shaping a new development model for the Estonian state. The sooner we make this step the better.

It is only natural that not all of our society's concerns and needs can be reflected in the first National Agreement. But at the present moment it is important that we are trying to express our common will to conduct a broad-based social dialogue in the course of which our priorities and shared insights would be identified.

The National Agreement must help shape the moral backbone of the Estonian society, which would back our aspirations as a nation. Only a morally homogeneous Estonia can be successful also in the European Union. That's the very reason why I recommend that an accord on basic issues be reached before our referendum on the accession to the European Union.

And to achieve this goal, I wish you staying power and strength of mind!


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