Representatives of the three parties on Monday agreed to strengthen Estonia's economic competitiveness by:

• Developing new domestic industries, such as defense.
• Focusing on the whole country, not only Tallinn and Harju County.
• Reducing bureaucracy and giving entrepreneurs clarity.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday evening, prime ministerial candidate Kristen Michal (Reform) said defense, and improving the economy were discussed.

Michal explained that a well-functioning economy means that Estonia can get its finances in order more quickly, can contribute to defense and people's livelihoods can improve.

One area where growth can be found is with new industrial policies, he said. "We are looking for ways to contribute to new industries using EU funds, CO2 money," Michal told the media.

The climate minister said, for example, in the field of defense, the government wants to be able to buy as much as possible from Estonian companies in the future.

He explained that since Estonia has set a goal of contributing 0.25 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to support Ukraine in the following years, this means that Estonian defense industries can compete for this money.

Margus Tsahkna, Eesti 200 chairman, also highlighted industrial policy. He said Estonian entrepreneurs are waiting for decisions about resources such as minerals and forests, and here the government must create a clear plan.

SDE also wants to prioritize regions outside the capital and Harju County when creating new jobs, Michal said.

SDE Chairman Lauri Läänemets explained that if the state offers subsidies for large investments, they should be distributed throughout Estonia, not concentrated in Tallinn or Harju County. This will help raise wages elsewhere in Estonia, he told journalists.

"The logic should be that a person can manage anywhere in Estonia on their salary," he added. Läänemets said it is also important for people to be able to purchase a home both in rural areas and in cities.

All three politicians want to speed up the planning process and reform the environmental assessment system. Michal said they want to halve the time required for planning.

In addition, there are plans to amend the Public Procurement Act to strengthen economic competitiveness, to localize different orders, and give preference to innovation.

"We are reviewing the country's own procurement policy to ensure that there is innovative and smart procurement, and also that procurement can be done in such a way that as much of our own taxpayers' money as possible that is invested in national defense stays in our own economy," Tsahkna said.

The goal is also to reduce bureaucracy. "We are starting to cut the administrative burden consistently. This has become a scourge in digital Estonia. We will reform the chancelleries of state so that they have more functions and can support different ministries to carry out major reforms," ​​Michal said.

Läänemets said the new coalition is also moving forward with developing renewable energy capacities. He explained that wherever there are wind farms, there must also be jobs. Politicians also plan to secure a market for biogas in Estonia. This would help reduce the CO2 footprint and, according to Läänemets, should make life easier for farmers. In addition, it would create new agricultural jobs.

Tsahkna said people and entrepreneurs expect stability and a clear understanding of what the government does and does not do.

He also said entrepreneurs and potential investors must be given confidence so that they can take their next steps. "I liked the practical discussion on how we speed up planning, how we can support bringing major investments to Estonia. A big problem has been the availability of quality labor – we formulated the objectives of talent policy, who we need to bring to Estonia," he said.

Tsahkna added that the plan is to review the fact that entrepreneurs and investors have access to capital. "Let's look at the different measures, be they under EISA, the different funds that the country has in place."

Coalition talks between Reform, SDE, and Eesti 200 are expected to take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for most of July.

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