Building quality roads isn't a sprint — it's a long and expensive undertaking. We have professionals who know how to design and construct projects. The need exists in nearly every corner of Estonia. But what we don't have — as Transport Administration Director Priit Sauk has rightly pointed out — is unlimited funding.

The state must now make choices across all areas of life. Since Russia's leaders show no signs of abandoning their imperial ambitions, we've decided that security comes first. Five percent of GDP is allocated for that purpose and rightly so. It's clear that Russia does not plan to demobilize its massively expanded army after the war in Ukraine, but is instead looking for where to move next. That harsh everyday reality means everything else must be approached more thoughtfully and incrementally.

Over the years, a situation has developed in Estonia where, in spring, a long wish list is drawn up on paper, and in autumn, during budget negotiations, reality sets in. More promises are made than there are budget lines to cover them. Instead of continually reproducing dreams, Estonia's road construction sector now needs something else: a stable funding model and an honest understanding of what we can actually do and when.

The new government has been in office for barely three weeks. It's no secret that sector-specific coalition negotiations are currently underway to set the government's more detailed direction. Just last week, I met with stakeholders, including those in the road construction sector.

In the current economic climate, it's already significant that road maintenance funding hasn't been cut compared to previous periods, even though most sectors of the state have had to endure major reductions. At the same time, we have to admit that major road construction projects are currently only possible thanks to European funding — for instance, the construction of the four-lane Via Baltica highway on the Tallinn–Pärnu route. A comparable level of funding has not yet been earmarked for the Tartu route, even though the projects exist.

We will certainly continue working strategically to bring additional European funding to Estonia, including from military mobility funds. Discussions are also underway on whether and how to implement a new traffic safety program that would help make travel throughout Estonia safer and the sector more systematically managed.

Once again: unfortunately, we can no longer approach road maintenance policy with the same expectations that applied a few years ago. The situation has changed — security pressures have grown, our allies across the ocean are more unpredictable and Estonia's financial resources are limited.

We must abandon wish lists and focus on what is reasonable or essential to do and what can realistically be funded. We'll move forward step by step, responsibly.

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