Coalition talks move into next phase

The first round of the government coalition negotiations has concluded and the parties will now begin filtering the ideas proposed in the working groups. No date has yet been set for when the agreement must be finalized.
The coalition council will review the working groups' proposals this week, and according to Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform), the text of the agreement can then be drafted.
Justice and Digital Minister Liisa Pakosta of Eesti 200 said that the key difference between the two parties during the negotiations has been the perspective from which issues are approached.
"In the working group I lead, which focuses on information technology and the rule of law, we have managed to find compromises and reach agreements, even on complex issues such as judicial reform. There are many unpleasant measures that need to be taken to ensure long-term success," Pakosta said.
This involves identifying areas where savings can be made, but there are also sectors that will receive additional funding, such as cybersecurity. Hanno Pevkur noted that the decisions being made now will have long-term effects and cited decisions related to pension assets as an example.
"At the same time, it must be kept in mind that this coalition's timeframe lasts precisely until the next elections and all plans and decisions must be made with that in view," Pevkur added.
The sustainability of the pension system has been a long-standing topic of discussion.
"For example, the restoration of the second pension pillar and making it mandatory again. What we saw after its elimination was clearly harmful to people. It was also detrimental in the long run because it contributed to increased poverty in the coming decades," Liisa Pakosta said.
While Eesti 200 supports making the second pension pillar mandatory, the Reform Party favors keeping participation voluntary. Both Pakosta and Pevkur emphasized the importance of the second pillar, noting that money withdrawn from it was spent on consumption, which will reduce future pension amounts.
"We need to explore ways to encourage more people to rejoin the second pillar and invest more in saving for their retirement," Pevkur said.
Social Democrat Vladimir Svet stated that he expects the new coalition agreement to provide clear and concrete proposals.
"Unfortunately, at the moment we are only seeing details about relatively trivial disputes. What concerns me is the recent news that no new investments are planned for roads, for example," Svet said.
Once the text of the agreement is finalized, it must be approved by the councils of both parties.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski. Aleksander Krjukov