What stood out as the most important part of this agreement?

The most important thing, something which is a truly new thing, a new agreement, is the provision concerning pensions, in other words the opportunity to rejoin the second pension pillar, five years after exiting it.

More important still is what is not written into the coalition agreement but is still under negotiation, in other words Eesti 200 very much wants remaining in the second pension pillar to become mandatory again, at least for those entering the job market, but possibly also for earlier cohorts, such as myself for instance.

I can understand that this wasn't committed to paper, but Eesti 200 at least feels that this is also a kind of agreement. But when it comes to disputes, what is written down is what counts. Whether this decision will be made, let's see.

In such difficult times, it seems like a rather generous coalition agreement: Eliminating the "tax hump," a car tax discount, pay rises, a sports arena, four-lane highways. All of this in a situation where the budget deficit is substantial. At the same time, the agreement stresses that the financial matters will be addressed later, during the state budget strategy preparation. How seriously can we take these pledges? Or has the government essentially given up on financial discipline?

There is not a single figure attached to these promises. One of the biggest flaws in this coalition agreement, perhaps, is that on such complex and certainly contentious future issues, there are plenty of loose ends. One thing is the figures, but the agreement also mentions many potential legal amendments, yet what exactly will be changed, and how, this we don't know.

But touching on the money, well we know that local elections are coming in Estonia, and for Eesti 200, like it or not, these elections are really also a matter of political life and death. So, one way or another, you have to pledge and offer something. Salary issues, teachers' salaries. It is tough for Eesti 200 and also the Reform Party to come out and state that teachers' wages won't rise, when that 120 percent salary pledge was made, a year or two ago. This is no longer in the coalition agreement, yet pay raises are still promised.

As for the sports arena, that's a very interesting question, as it also involves reducing the gambling tax, which means Estonia is expected to gain more of a reputation as a gambling license "paradise," and it is hoped more money will derive from this. But must these new funds be utilized to build a large sports hall? Maybe they could be spent on national defense instead. Certainly that could be the case, if the lawmakers wished it so.

This is clearly an idea imported by Eesti 200, that there could be new buildings and even more public-private financing, meaning if the private sector puts in two euros into a club, the state would add one.

And what is interesting there is that the base list includes non-profits and foundations eligible for income tax breaks; this is not merely sports clubs, there are also some churches and congregations [on the list], and even the Foundation for the Protection of Family and Tradition (SAPTK).

And if they don't differentiate between these, we will likely start seeing situations and disputes over what exactly it is the state should support.

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