Tallinn Mayor Savisaar promises a 'Center Party turn' for Estonia
Edgar Savisaar, a former Prime Minister who has been at the helm of Tallinn City Council since 2007, said today that instead of a social democratic turn to left, Estonians will vote the Center Party into power instead.
A veteran political columnist and PR-expert Janek Mäggi had earlier said that Estonia will embrace social democratic ideas in the lead-up to parliament elections in March.
“Absolutely all four major parties have amplified the social democratic ideas. All of them promise more social support and money and even the Reform Party has taken this road,” Mäggi said in a radio program 'Uudis+' for ERR's Vikerraadio. “There is no escape from a turn to left,” he added.
But Savisaar disputed Mäggi's claim.
“Mäggi is right to suggest that the current policy making will come to an end after the elections. But he misleads the voters by indicating social democratic embrace. The Social Democrats are in the coalition government right now, but no substantial change has taken place. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that they would act any differently after the elections,” Savisaar told to ERR.
Savisaar said that the only real alternative would come from the Center Party, officially occupying the political center ground in Estonia.
“We have proven in Tallinn that alternative policies are possible and that they are successful. We don't have to invent a wheel again, but to put European-style policy making into practice in Estonia. We are talking about progressive income tax, minimum wage set at 1,000 euros, or free public transport, for example,” Savisaar said.
“But we are glad that the Social Democrats and IRL have followed the Center Party lead and started supporting progressive tax system,” he added.
Editor: S. Tambur