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The President of the Republic, Mr. Arnold Rüütel, in the Riigikogu on October 8, 200108.10.2001
Dear people of Estonia,
Honourable Riigikogu,
Mr. President,
Mr. President of the Riigikogu,
Mr. Prime Minister,
Excellencies,
Honourable ladies and gentlemen,
Nine years ago my predecessor President Lennart Meri ended his first presidential speech with the words from the Estonian Declaration of Independence of 1918: "Estonia! You stand on the threshold of a hopeful future!" In 1990 and 1991 I had a good chance to make preparations, together with the Estonian people, for reaching that threshold. After that we passed the transition period and by now we have become a member of the league of developed states. Ten years of independent Estonia have changed our outer and inner face beyond recognition. A whole generation, whose self-realisation proceeds in a free and independent Estonia, has grown up already. This generation has only vague reminiscences of their own childhood and their parents' life in the Soviet Empire. The people of Estonia who have reached their middle age today have been those whose boldness to risk and enterprising spirit have laid the basis for the success of Estonia, which is seen in that we are reaching the technological level of the developed states, that there has been courage to make investments in the Estonian economy and that today we are standing at the gates to the European Union and NATO. Let our recognition belong to this generation.
The contribution of President Lennart Meri, who as the leader of the state has influenced these processes, has also been great and worthy of appreciation.
Still it is suitable to ask oneself: "Has the hopeful future come true? Has the state, that we have restored, become a safe home for the people, where, figuratively speaking, there is enough work and bread for all the inhabitants of this state? Is not it often so that the future, as formerly, is for some people, and for the others there is only hope?"
There is a basis for such hesitations, because beside a successful Estonia there is also another Estonia, not smaller at all. These are our own people, who have often had to pay an unjustly high price for the success of Estonia. A great part of Estonia tries to manage somehow to make both ends meet, and the weakest part of it, in its turn, is seeking for consolation or forgetfulness in drugs or alcohol, which has led to tragic consequences.
For the President of Estonia, there cannot be more than one Estonia. The knowledge of that imposes on us all a great obligation and also a responsibility.
My assuming the office of the President takes place at a time that is critical for Estonia and for the world. We are facing an ever-increasing threat of terrorism. The terrorist attack, which struck the United States on September 11, has elicited, as of yesterday, a military response. The democratic world had no other choices. Estonia needs again, more than ever, the feeling that we stand together, shoulder to shoulder, in order to be strong.
I assure you that I want to do, within the limits provided to me by the Constitution and under the mandate received from the representatives who have elected me as the President of Estonia, everything that is dependent on me to decrease the split that has grown a gulf between the different social strata, political forces, institutions and levels of power.
In Estonia, a wide social dialogue must be restored that will be a precondition to the understanding of different interests and to finding out a common interest therein. Our main difficulty is the shortage of confidence and responsibility. We all have to think about it, on the level of local, as well as of state power. Therefore, the first task of the President should be to consult not only with the Prime Minister, but also with all the heads of constitutional institutions. In order to strengthen the regional policy, it is necessary to convene the body of the representatives of local governments of all levels. The development of Estonia is tilted to centres, now it should be balanced. The Round Table of National Minorities and the Academic Council will certainly continue their activities. Perhaps it is necessary to think also of the formation of a chamber of the representatives of the third sector as the core of the civil society to the President. I hope that these initiatives of customary law find support by the interested parties themselves as well as by the general public.
The role of the press in conducting the dialogue within the society and in forming the public opinion is to be highly appreciated; therefore, it is important to introduce regular meetings with the editors-in-chief of national media channels and newspapers and also with those of county newspapers.
As I unconditionally support the strategy of sustainable and balanced development of Estonia, then it is understandable that I estimate the activities of the political parties and Government precisely in these terms. Let us recognise that in many cases these activities have been limited to phrase-mongering, or, on the contrary, reforms have been carried out for the sake of reforming. A mentality is likely to dominate, which favours profligate consumption and an upstart desire to get rich NOW! Estonia's careen can be rectified and welfare ensured by implementing a regional policy, which would create clear possibilities for making both ends meet also for the regions most distant from the centres. Our forthcoming accession to the European Union requires that we should focus on the improvement of the administrative capacity of the organs of power at every level, even in the smallest rural municipalities, instead of hoping that the problems will disappear by themselves, after the municipalities will be merged.
The place and reputation of Estonia in the European Union and the world will depend on the level of our political culture and democracy, on the extent to which our people will be involved in making the decisions, liable to influence their destinies, on our ability to ensure the separation and balance of powers and the independence of our judicial power, which is one of the cornerstones of democracy, to protect the interests of minorities.
Recently, a motion to amend the Constitution by providing for direct election of the President was submitted for the legislative proceeding of the Riigikogu. There has been a nation-wide need and preparedness for doing that. Hopefully, this will be the first serious step towards decreasing the political alienation of the people. The principles of the election of the Riigikogu need also amending. The relations of the people's representatives with their constituency should become closer.
The principle of regionalism, which has been emphasised in our domestic affairs, might also be respected in Estonia's foreign policy. A dictum by Macchiavelli that friends should be sought nearby has become a proverb. Our activities in foreign policy might, therefore, be more centred on the region, to which we are bound by our history: the Baltic states, Baltoscandia, other near neighbours of Estonia and the Baltic Sea Region. The European Charter of Local Self-Government also orientates us towards regional cooperation. This means that partnership relations are developed not solely between the states, but also between self-government regions of different states. Here Estonia can follow the good example of Finland, Sweden and Germany. And this principle has been adopted in the entire European Union.
Assigning high priority to the principle of regionalism does in no way mean indifference to what is taking place elsewhere. The world is small and our destinies have been bound together. Understanding the world in global terms means agreements on the exploitation of environmental resources and on common security. Therefore, Estonia supports the fight against terrorism. At the same time, we are convinced that neither a nation, nor a great world religion can be deemed to be terroristic in itself. Respect towards national and religious principles is a component of the respect towards human rights.
In all probability, within my term of presidency Estonia will become a Member State of the European Union. However, this will depend on the decision that our people will make themselves. Also the Government of Estonia and public agencies have to do a great, substantive work in this field. As President, I intend to make also my contribution to rendering this process more efficient.
Regardless of whether Estonia will become a Member State of the European Union, conclusion of the Border Agreement with the Russian Federation should be deemed to be of great importance. I believe that it is important to both parties. I hope to make every effort to ensuring that the relations between Estonia and the Russian Federation would develop in the atmosphere of neighbourliness and mutual understanding, on the basis of mutual benefit.
Throughout its history, Estonia has been a crossing point of various cultures. Under the influence of these cultures, we have been able to develop our own identity and preserve it through centuries.
Is not precisely now the right time to strive, by using our historical background and experience, for making Estonia a place where the North and the South, the West and the East would meet, in which, on the initiative and with the intermediation of Estonia, agreements would come into existence, which would increase the security in our region, Europe and the entire world.
Honourable members of the Riigikogu,
Having assumed my office as the President of the Republic, I have three priority tasks, which, I hope, I can fulfil, in one or other way, by the end of the term of my presidency. This also requires my concentration, within the limits of my official competence, on these tasks.
For the physical and cultural endurance of Estonia as a nation, nothing is more important than the demographic situation. The possibility that we can make, through our national culture, a contribution to the development of the world culture depends on our endurance as a nation. Still, the decrease in the number and ageing of our population continues. At the same time, we have no long-term programme, adopted on the basis of consensus, for creating conditions, which would lead to a change in the demographic behaviour of our people. I promise to make every effort to encourage the adoption and launching of such programme.
Another field deserving attention is education. Education means the willingness to adapt oneself to changes and to meet new challenges. At the same time, however, the future of our national culture and science also depends on the education.
We do not only mean that the entire Estonia must go to school, but also that the people must have equal possibilities to do that. We cannot become rich by selling our phosphorite and oil shale; our wealth can be based solely on the grey matter of our brains. Already our ancestors understood this when they strove to become great by mind. Already Jakob Hurt has called on us for doing that.
As the third priority, I mention employment. The dignity of every human and of the entire nation is created by work and in the process of work. Unemployment is, thus, not only an economic issue, it is also a matter of social managing and society's moral. If a person works and creates new values, then he/she participates in solving social problems and feels a full-value member of the nation. In ensuring employment, especial importance should be attached to the competitiveness of Estonian capital, small enterprises and retraining. The role of trade unions in keeping the balance at the labour market should not be underestimated. Only by creating jobs and offering just remuneration for the work we can ensure that there will be no backward border areas in Estonia, that families will have a sufficient income and new generations will have a place for growing.
If we shall be able to achieve this, then we also shall be able to restore the national dignity, which was born in the days of the War of Independence and of the struggle for restoration of independence.
We have to build up a society and a state, in which the people would have a natural belief in the continuance and viability of their state. Repeating the words by Oskar Loorits, "still, our fate rests on ourselves, rather than on blind chance." Today it is high time to say to Estonia: "You are worthy of being loved."
Love means, first of all, dedication.
For that, I wish strength of mind to us all!
The President of the Republic Lennart Meri on October 8, 2001, at the Riigikogu
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