The President of the Republic of Estonia 2001-2006: Retrospective 2001

The President

Retrospective 2001–2006

Inauguration Speech on 8 October 2001

an action programme with the following key issues:

A long-term plan to improve the demographic situation
Equal opportunities for everybody in education
Strengthening of social cohesion
Promotion of the social dialogue
Balancing of regional development
Improved employment
Separation and balance of powers as a guiding principle
Improvement of the administrative capacity
Implementation of principles of sustainable development
In foreign policy:
To convene a Local Government Roundtable, a Roundtable on National Minorities and an Academic Council
To create a chamber for representatives of the third sector
To legalise direct elections of the president

Public Understanding

This is the President's domestic initiative in creating a civil society. This is the most broad-based network of Estonia's NGOs.
63 signatories.
Its target is at least a twofold increase in the living standard in Estonia by 2015, parallel to reducing social and regional inequality; in particular, it should be visible in vulnerable social groups (families with children and pensioners).
Key issues:

To create an environment supportive of family confidence and child development;
To bring education into the focus of care and attention in the society;
To create conditions necessary to increase welfare and develop economy;
To improve public health;
To promote rural life.

Academic Council

The Academic Council analyses various spheres of life and issues recommendations for well-balanced development of the society.
Key issues:

Population and public health
Education and science
Public understanding
Accession to the European Union
Rearranging of regional administration
Internal security
Foreign investments
Energy
Innovation
Free movement of labour

Two collections have been published: "Eesti edu hind" (The price of Estonia’'s success) (2005) and "Eesti jätkusuutliku arengu teel" (Estonia's sustainable development) (2006). An overview is being prepared under the title of "Eesti teelahkmel" (Estonia at the crossroads).

President of the Republic's Roundtable of Local Government and Regional Development

Members of the Roundtable are representatives of the Association of Estonian Cities, the Union of Estonian Associations of Local Authorities, the Association of Local Governments of each county and the capital. The Roundtable cooperates with the Academic Council.
Key issues:

To balance regional development
To strengthen democratic organisation of the society
To secure regional competitiveness
To develop local economy
To involve EU Structural Funds
To initiate a Public Understanding
To reform regional administration
Planning of state and local government budgets
To develop the school network

President of the Republic's Roundtable on National Minorities

The Roundtable is a standing conference of representatives of ethnic groups, ethnical minorities and stateless persons residing in Estonia as well as political parties.
The objective of the Roundtable is to work out recommendations and proposals concerning:

The integration into Estonian society of all the people who have linked their lives to Estonia or wish to do so;
The resolution of socio-economic, cultural and legal issues of aliens and stateless persons permanently residing in Estonia as well as of ethnic minorities;
Support of persons seeking Estonian citizenship;
The learning and use of the Estonian language;
The preservation of the cultural and linguistic identity of ethnic minorities.

Speeches

The President has delivered 715 speeches. The most significant speeches include speeches:

on anniversaries of the Republic of Estonia;
at the opening of the Riigikogu Plenary Sessions;
on the anniversary of the Treaty of Tartu;
on the Mother's Day;
on the Victory Day;
On the Restoration of Independence Day;
On the first day of the school year;
At the Estonia's Successful Development Forum on 28 November 2001 and 25 November 2004;
At the meeting of the Paasikivi Society on 24 January 2002;
In the Riigikogu "On energy as an issue of high importance" on 27 February 2002;
At the conference "A Family Farm – the Source of Estonian Life Force" on 8 March 2002;
At the Tenth Anniversary of the Constitution on 28 June 2002;
At the forum "Business as a Life Style" on 8 November 2002;
On the Tenth Anniversary of the Union of Estonian Associations of Local Authorities on 21 March 2003;
At the Signing of the EU Accession Treaty in Athens on 16 April 2003;
At the Baltic Development Forum on 6 October 2003;
At the Signing of the Public Understanding on 20 October 2003;
On the Estonian Flag Day on 4 June 2004;
At the opening of the IV World Congress of the Finno-Ugric Peoples on 16 August 2004;
At the conference "Education in the 21st century" on 16 September 2004;
At the conference "The Young at the Labour Market" on 8 November 2004;
At the conference "Boarder Changes in the 20th Century Europe" on 3 February 2005;
At the Club of Rome conference on 25 February 2005;
On the Europe Day on 9 May 2005;
At the Baltic Development Forum on 17 October 2005;
At the conference “Christian Values in Estonia's Politics” on 11 November 2005;
On the Day of Towns and Rural Municipalities on 16 February 2006;
At the conference on the Future of the European Union on 9 May 2006;
At the scientific conference "Sustainable Estonia" on 25 May 2006;
At the conference "Local Government in our Changing Time" on 12 June 2006.

The President has addressed

The UN General Assembly – three times,
41 conventions/events related to business and entrepreneurship

Statements

Joint Statements by the President of the Republic, the Chairman of the Riigikogu and the Prime Minister

on 16 December 2002 on the completion of the EU Accession Negotiations
on 25 June 2003 in support of the accession to the European Union and to call on Estonian citizens’ to participate in the referendum
on 14 September 2003 on the outcome of the referendum to accede to the European Union
on 11 June 2004 appeal to participate in the elections to the European Parliament
on 30 December 2004 on the catastrophe in South-East Asia
annually on the National Day of Commemoration, 14 June

The head of state has issued statements on the following important occasions:

on the opening of the Convention on the Future of the European Union on 28 February 2002;
on the Citizen's Day on 26 November 2003;
on 12 March 2003 on the elections to the European Parliament;
on the 55th Anniversary of the March Deportation on 25 March 2004;
on the decision not to attend the celebrations dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow on 7 March 2005;
on the death of Lennart Meri on 14 March 2006;
on democracy in Estonia on 31 March 2006;
on pre-election atmosphere on 5 September 2006.

Meetings

TOTAL – 2002 meetings

Heads of state - 174 meetings
Foreign statesmen - 190 meetings
Ambassadors - 168 meetings
Estonia's politicians - 413 meetings
Representatives of local authorities - 114 meetings
Representatives in the field of culture and education - 133 meetings
Business people - 125 meetings
Members of the Armed Forces - 83 meetings
Representatives of citizens- associations - 104 meetings
Representatives of other organisations - 240 meetings
Journalists - 204 meetings
Sportsmen and sports managers - 26 meetings
Religious leaders - 28 meetings

Regular meetings with

The Prime Minister and ministers
The Board of the Riigikogu and committees
Heads of constitutional institutions
County governors

County Visits

County Visits have taken the President to all the counties in Estonia. Besides the President has been on working visits as well as toured local authorities. He has visited 103 Estonian companies.

Foreign Visits

During his term of office the President has been on 17 state visits, 7 official visits and 57 working visits.
The President has opened 23 business seminars abroad promoting Estonia.
The President has delivered lectures or speeches in 16 universities abroad, including:

At the University of Helsinki in January 2002,
At the Nobel Institute in April 2002,
In St. John's College (UK) in November 2002,
At the University of Naples in November 2002,
At the University of Jyväskylä in November 2003,
At the University of Gödöllö (Hungary) in April 2004,
At the Centre for International Security and Cooperation of Stanford University in January 2006.

Patronages

The President is the patron of 44 events or associations, including

The Estonian Home Decoration Association
Estonian National Opera
The First European Civil Society Forum
The IV World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples
The Estonian Entrepreneurship Award and the Quality Award Competition
The Estonian Enterprise Year
The Year of Disabled People
The Estonian Games of Rural Sports
The Training Project Look@world
The Estonian Rye Society
The Estonian Male Choirs Association
The Club of Estonia

Laws

The President has promulgated 846 laws and has not promulgated 11 laws.

Conferring of Decorations

The President has conferred 2817 state decorations.

Appointments into and releases from office

The President has appointed 3 candidate prime ministers.
He has made 19 changes in the government.
He has made 5 changes in the leadership of the Defence Forces
The President has appointed:

Governor of the Bank of Estonia
38 judges
75 ambassadors

The President has released 17 judges from office.

Granting of military rank

President has issued 99 decrees to grant military rank, including a rank of a vice-admiral and of four generals.

Pardoning

The President has pardoned 26 convicted persons and rejected 547 appeals for pardon.

Public Relations

During his term of office President Rüütel has given 736 interviews, including 540 to Estonian journalists and 196 to foreign journalists. (By October 9, 2006)
In the period of 8 October 2001 to 31 August 2006 the President has held 87 press conferences and 18 other meetings with representatives of the press.

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