The ministry says Estonia's regions require greater attention from the state, and the government itself would benefit from having representatives on the ground to facilitate communication between the central government and the regions.

Therefore, the experience gained from the Ida-Viru representative is set to be expanded nationwide said Deputy Secretary General for Regional Development Sigrid Soomlais.

"We propose dividing Estonia into regions, with each region having a regional manager who will work on revitalizing the economy. Their tasks will include assessing whether necessary support measures are in place, ensuring the region benefits from these measures, addressing implementation challenges, and providing the central government with updates on the economic situation in their region," she said.

"We are planning to establish four such positions: for Eastern Estonia, Central Estonia, Southern Estonia, and Western Estonia," the deputy secretary general added.

Narva-Jõesuu Mayor Maksim Iljin believes hiring state regional managers is the right step. He said the activities of the Ida-Viru County representative significantly improved communication between the state and the county.

"All the proposals and sometimes criticisms we made locally reached the government cabinet much faster than they would have through formal correspondence. Let's be honest, the problem is often that we spend too much time waiting for something to happen, and by the time it does, it's already too late," he said.

Jaanus Purga, the former government representative in Ida-Viru County, also considers appointing regional representatives a good idea.

"These regions each have enough unique characteristics that must be considered when making decisions. Despite Estonia's small size, you cannot simply assume that what works in Southern Estonia will automatically work in Hiiumaa. So, I think it is a good idea," he said.

However, Purga stressed that the regional managers' work results should be measurable.

"Metrics like household income growth and unemployment rates could be a couple of indicators. These are influenced not only by entrepreneurship but also by a stronger state presence, which a regional representative could push for if they are effective. For instance, instead of closing certain institutions, they could advocate for relocating them from Harju County to another region," he suggested.

Soomlais said the regional managers will have specific objectives: "We will set goals as we go and definitely measure the outcomes to ensure the region benefits from having this person. At the moment, it's hard to specify exact metrics, but we will certainly define them."

The government representatives or regional managers will be hired through a competitive selection process. Soomlais said they will likely join the Ministry of Regional Affairs' staff starting next year.

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