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 | Speeches | | |
President of the Republic at the presentation of the new Government, on January 28, 200228.01.2002
Honourable Prime Minister, Members of the Government,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The course of forming the new Government having taken office today can apparently be regarded as a sign of the political culture in the re-independent Republic of Estonia maturing. First, it manifested itself in how smoothly the government crisis, broken out in December, was solved. In the case that the crisis would have festered long, it would have hampered seriously these vital processes the conclusion with dignity of which has become our shared duty. Saying this, I am referring to our accession negotiation with the European Union and preparations to join NATO.
Secondly, the demeanour of all the parliamentary parties - both of these forming the opposition now and of these, the additional support of whom ensured the leader of new Government a clear mandate - is worth recognition.
Thirdly, it attracts one's attention that the present ruling coalition is unifying political forces differing one from another in their ideological positions and supporters which definitely will add new experience to the past governance practice of Estonia.
At the same time, the composition of the Government is reflecting readiness for rotation in office that also is being viewed as a sign of the political culture maturing. Beside experienced politicians, representatives of the younger generation must demonstrate their leadership capacities. It's true, that this tradition here dates back to the first days of our restored independence, because also in 1992, thus, already ten years ago, the then leader of the Government, Mart Laar, began as the youngest Prime Minister of Estonia who at the same time was assisted by quite many of his peers.
But we also should recall that the champions of our "singing revolution" too were Estonian intellectuals mostly in their 30s-40s, and the leaders of the parties to the present ruling coalition were already then participating actively in politics. This gives us hope that the government taking office will be a workable one. Likewise, it deserves highlighting that more women have been involved into governance and this in turn should help to break downright petrified patriarchal prejudices, we sometimes seem to have.
Well, the process of forming a coalition and a government is one thing, but quite another thing are the obligations of the Government to the people and state. The mandate, founding on an agreement between two parliamentary parties, needs also to be justified. It is understandable that the coalition agreement takes account of the interests of the parties and their constituents, but every agreement also should contain principles and tasks ranking higher than party-interests, thus, expressing endeavours for the national consensus.
It gives the impression, without going into detail, that in the programme of the Government taking office there are also endeavours of this kind. To the fact, that they have been noticed, point results of the first opinion polls, according to which the attitudes to the new coalition are positive and hopeful.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The press has called the Government taking office a provisional government. However, the parliamentary principles just claim that every government be a provisional one. Only in monarchies the power is hereditary, and long-lived governments in totalitarian systems are tools of dictators or corporative cliques.
But the paradox of the provisionality of every democratic government lies in the fact, that it must secure the continuity of the rule of the people, ensure a stable development, and sustain a safe environment of life. All this even in the case, if such a government has got only fourteen months to exercise its powers, like you.
Therefore, I wish the new Government not to think so much of the months, given for governing, just to fly by but in the first place, of how to fit maximum into the timeframe granted.
For this purpose, I would like to wish you success and luck!
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