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 | Speeches | | |
The President of the Republic on 31 December 2001 and 1 January 200231.12.2001
Dear people of Estonia,
Dear compatriots,
While facing you at this moment, I would like to share with you some thoughts intended to summarize our recent past and to introduce our forthcoming actions.
It is since ten years now that Estonia has been independent again. We have made great strides on the way towards consolidation of our society in the conditions of democracy and market economy. The price and results of our success will be judged by new generations but, one thing we can say already today: the Estonian people have come through the ordeals by history. We also have endured pressures brought on by the sudden about-turn in our life ten years ago. I believe that nobody has doubts about our choices having been right and now irrevocable. Yet, it does not mean that we should not ask ourselves, how to move forward.
This year I have had the opportunity to visit many Estonian rural municipalities, to meet with rural people, including heads of municipalities and chairmen of councils. And if we now should be looking for the most prominent person of the year in Estonia then, in my view, he or she could for instance well be one of the heads of municipalities or chairpersons of councils. It does not matter, in which corner of Estonia one or another municipality is situated, the leaders of municipalities have been people who regardless of how complicated the situation was have stood up for their homes. They have been trying to prove the historical fact that the state of Estonia, first and foremost, depends on a strong local government.
How is the Estonian village doing, how many people still have their homes in the countryside, do we have enough jobs and schools there ¾ thereon depend to a large extent both the face and the future of whole Estonia.
But the question "What to do next?" is not just a question for Estonia only. The ending year has put this question to the entire world. The act of terrorism on 11 September, directed against the United States of America, has convinced us that the world is more vulnerable than imagined before. It also has become clear that the understanding of development, according to which some just go their way and others are doomed to stay back as dependants, is wrong and even dangerous. This would result in an escalation of terror. Some would be worried about keeping or growing their wealth and others would be afraid of going down in poverty. Balance in the world, the responsibility for which has been placed on the United Nations, can be reached only in the case if mankind would be able to agree on its common values.
We also learned our sad lesson at home. We may talk about the free will of those dozens and dozens of people who passed away having drunk methanol. However, this tragedy was a sign of too many people in Estonia living at the edge of an abyss seeking comfort or oblivion in drugs.
We are flattered by the knowledge that as for the openness of its economic environment Estonia belongs to the top-countries of the world and our human development index is continuously on the rise. But in spite of all this, the quality of life in Estonia is determined by contentment of our people and by their capability to manage. To link it only to hefty income, material security, or consuming potential would amount to simplification. The quality of life depends on if a human being can feel dignified at any age and in any situation. In this respect we still have a lot to learn for example from the Nordic Countries which owing to the well-balanced, centred-on- man economy and efficient regional policy have been turned into affluent societies with well-established national self-esteem.
But, how to bring it to a steadfast self-esteem for all our people and the country as a whole - has been the key-issue in Estonia throughout the year. Estonian intellectuals have pointed it out in different ways. In the most vigorous way it was done by 26 social scientists with their public appeal of 22 April. According to their assessment the ethical and political crisis in Estonia is resulting from split-up of our nation into two societies, which have totally different opportunities and live in different systems of values. If some people do not care what others think about privatisation of the power stations in Narva or the Estonian railways, if the shutdown of railway-traffic in Southeast Estonia and the generous permission to rise prices of the enterprises having market monopoly are regarded just as economic experiments next in turn then - it does not make any sense to call for a national agreement.
Luckily, there are parties and entrepreneurs in Estonia for which the interests of the Estonian state are the top priority, but their voice has remained weak amidst the greed and egoism, unfortunately still prevailing.
Therefore, I think it would be appropriate to put just here at these last minutes of the year a special emphasis on the fact that we are in urgent need of a new dialogue in our society. A kind of dialogue that would rest neither on the right of majority to the disadvantage of the minority nor on the right of rulers to the disadvantage of the people but, on the right for self-esteem of every individual, of every age- and interest group, and summing up - of the whole nation. There is a special reason to emphasize it just now where Estonia is facing crucial choices: accession to the European Union and NATO, for what sake we already have covered a long and exhausting way.
A while ago I was referring to the terror that indeed, caused by so many disasters of this year, tended to overshadow our thoughts and activities.
One of the most famous philosophers and public figures of the last century Bertrand Russell wrote that, to be able to overcome terror, one part of people resort to the superstition, the others are seized by excessive revelling in the moment, and the third part lets the herd instinct guide them. But what the great humanist really recommends to us for overcoming the terror, is hard-headed common sense. We, the Estonians, are used to call it peasant-wisdom.
And just more of this common sense or peasant-wisdom we would like to see in Estonian politics too. To restore the confidence in democratic institutions remains one of our principal tasks. It would be possible if the understanding would prevail that to rule means in the first place responsibility not to oneself, not to one`s party or interest group but to the nation of Estonia.
Dear people of Estonia,
The foregoing was not meant to be an admonition. It was meant to encourage all of us. We have been able to overcome our hesitations and dissensions so far. We have been able to laugh at our stupidity. We have uprightly come through the most complicated situations, and - we shall undoubtedly be able to do all this in future as well.
In a way, every year is special for a man. But the nature of this speciality becomes evident at the very moment of the turn of the year when it seems as if we were standing at the seashore. Behind us, there are not only the life and work of uncountable generations but also our recent and present doings for the sake of their continuity. Yet, ahead of us, from across the waters, an inviting horizon is emerging. It`s time for hopes and wishes.
Dear compatriots, I wish you and all of Estonia what Jaan Kaplinski so inspiringly has written about in his poem Return of the Soul: Let us become who we really are. That is here where our home is. Here is the place for our life and love. Let us protect it together!
Happy New Year, Estonia!
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