Riina Solman, head of Isamaa's Tallinn branch, said the party's goal in posing its questions was to do so openly and transparently so that, in addition to political parties, the public could also gain insight into the positions of various parties on key issues.

"With that in mind, we are publishing our responses to the Center Party's questions and call on all parties represented on the city council to publicly share their own positions, in order to ensure maximum transparency throughout the entire potential coalition formation process," Solman said.

Center Party chair Mihhail Kõlvart last week proposed to Isamaa that they exchange answers simultaneously on Monday, October 27 at 6 p.m. and discuss them at a joint meeting as soon as possible.

Isamaa was originally scheduled to decide last Thursday with whom to begin coalition talks in Tallinn. The party did not reach a decision and instead sent public letters to the Center Party, Parempoolsed, the Social Democratic Party and the Reform Party, posing questions about Tallinn's future and each party's worldview.

In turn, the Center Party sent Isamaa a set of questions to which it wanted answers. The other parties stated that they would not respond to Isamaa's questions and instead preferred bilateral meetings.

Traffic and public transport

• Do you support continuing free public transport for Tallinn residents? Do you plan to move forward with the Liivalaia tram line development, which would significantly reduce the capacity of intersections, or are you open to alternatives such as a battery trolleybus? If you prefer to proceed with the Liivalaia tram, what solutions do you propose for maintaining intersection capacity, extending the tram line toward Kristiine (without shifting transit traffic into the Uus Maailm neighborhood) and where would you place a 30-meter-diameter turnaround in Kristiine?

The tax increases introduced at the national level and the resulting deterioration in the economic situation have created circumstances in which we do not currently consider it reasonable to introduce a fare for public transport for Tallinn residents. Given that Tallinn has one of the most modern public transport fleets in Europe, claims that free rides have hindered necessary investment in the system are unfounded.

Isamaa approaches urban mobility in Tallinn as a whole. There are many opportunities to improve mobility in ways that benefit all types of road users simultaneously. Accordingly, we do not support changes that would significantly worsen conditions for any specific group. We are open to expert-recommended project adjustments that would improve mobility in the city overall — including changes in the type of rolling stock used.

Regarding tram projects, we note the risk that, since EU funding is planned with a deadline at the end of 2029, the timeline for successful implementation is extremely tight. For the turnaround point in Kristiine, we support the best engineering solution recommended by experts — one that would not restrict other traffic participants.

To increase the capacity of intersections, we support multi-level solutions that are compatible with Tallinn's urban space. In areas near the city center or around Nõmme Keskus, this primarily means creating underground corridors for one category of traffic. Our preference is to improve intersection flow by moving motorized traffic underground.

We also support advancing the Tallinn ring road project. We believe it is feasible to proceed in stages. This project would undoubtedly reduce pressure on city streets and save residents time.

• In your view, should the Pelguranna tram move forward in its current form, which includes tracks in both directions across the full width of Puhangu tänav and a turnaround cutting through Stroomi Beach Park or are you willing to pursue alternative routes?

We are open to considering alternative route options for the Pelguranna tram, but the goal must be to achieve a result that allows the project to be implemented with the support of European Union funding.

A mobility study conducted by the Tallinn Transport Department indicates that using Kolde puiestee as the turnaround point would result in higher tram ridership due to nearby educational institutions. Additionally, the cost of the project would be approximately €7 million lower and this solution would cause less disruption for residents of Puhangu tänav. Given the number of utility lines beneath Puhangu tänav, construction would likely also proceed more quickly.

• Do you support easing speed limits in areas where they have not proven critical for traffic safety, such as on arterial roads outside of peak hours?

Speed limits must be based on the specific needs of each area. Isamaa does not support blanket reductions in speed limits. To ensure smoother traffic flow, more so-called green waves should be introduced and speed limits on major arterial roads should be increased where feasible.

We believe that several existing speed limits — such as the 30 km/h limit on Kaarli puiestee — have been imposed more for ideological reasons than practical ones. Speed limits should reflect the location and condition of the street and ensure the safety of all road users.

• What is your position on the city's bicycle strategy — do you want to continue with it or update it?

Tallinn's current bicycle strategy covers the years 2018–2027. The city has changed since the strategy was adopted, with updates made to both urban planning and public transport. As the current strategy period is nearing its end, the development of a new one must begin.

Isamaa believes that the new strategy should no longer focus narrowly on bicycles. Pedestrians and other forms of light mobility must not be overlooked.

Given the increasing use of shared light mobility services in recent years, the new strategy should also establish long-term development directions for these modes of transport. One key point we want to address is the designation of primary light mobility corridors on side streets. Incorporating this into the strategy would help better separate different groups of road users, reducing conflicts among them. On main roads, this would allow for faster flow of motorized traffic, while side streets would offer greater safety for light mobility users, more greenery and less noise.

Social welfare and healthcare

• The mayor of Tallinn has now signed the design contract for the Tallinn Hospital project, despite not yet having the state's formal approval for co-financing. In your view, what are the possible funding scenarios to ensure the project doesn't remain just a plan?

Tallinn Hospital is a large-scale project, with the design phase expected to take approximately the next two and a half years. In 2024, the city and the state held negotiations on financing the new medical campus. The city proposed a potential funding model that would include financial contributions from both the state and the city, while also taking into account the borrowing capacity of hospitals owned by the city. However, no agreement was reached on the funding model and the process was delayed.

That said, in December 2024, the government approved the "Hospital Network Development Directions through 2040", which includes the establishment of the new medical campus.

During the design phase, a clear agreement must be reached with the state on how to implement the investment. This must include a potential contribution from the state budget, the involvement of European Union funds where possible and dedicated allocations within the city budget.

If such an agreement cannot be reached, alternative solutions must be considered, including the modernization of existing hospital infrastructure. The city has conducted the necessary cost calculations. The estimated opportunity cost of alternative infrastructure investments is approximately €700 million.

It is important to emphasize that, beyond infrastructure matters, the consolidation of city-owned hospitals must continue. A new CEO has been appointed to AS Tallinna Haigla. The board's primary task is to merge the city's healthcare institutions into a single, integrated organization. The first steps will involve unifying hospital support services, followed by the consolidation of legal entities.

• Under the leadership of the city's Welfare and Health Care Department, extensive reforms have taken place in Tallinn's child protection services. These have been criticized for failing to involve frontline practitioners, resulting in the voluntary departure of many specialists. Are you willing to evaluate the outcomes of the reform with input from child welfare professionals and adjust the new procedures if necessary? What are your proposals for stopping the outflow of practitioners from the capital's child protection system and restoring their trust?

The restructuring of child protection services was prompted by a number of long-standing issues highlighted in a 2017 KPMG analysis of the child protection practices within Tallinn's district social welfare departments, as well as in the city's own internal audit report, "The Organization of Child Protection Work in the City of Tallinn", published in 2021. These concerns are not unique to Tallinn but reflect systemic problems in child protection nationwide, which have also been raised in various oversight reports by the Social Insurance Board.

It is difficult to explain why previous city administrations failed to address these shortcomings, especially considering that the primary victims of these delays were children and families in need.

To ensure timely, child- and family-centered support, a restructuring of Tallinn's child protection system was implemented in May of this year. Both child welfare specialists and subject matter experts were involved in preparing and carrying out the reform.

It has now been roughly six months since the reform was launched and the number of professionals working in child protection in Tallinn is higher than it was before. A centralized quality control system has been established and additional legal support has been made available to child welfare specialists. The overarching goal is to provide timely, high-quality services and support to children and families.

That said, employee satisfaction and feedback must continue to be taken into account to ensure the successful completion of the reform.

Sports and free time

• What sports and recreational facilities do you plan to create or initiate in Tallinn over the next four years?

The detailed spatial plan for the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds must be finalized, with the goal of developing and expanding the area's overall functionality.

Among the key district-level projects, the Sõle Sports Center will be expanded, and the Pirita Velodrome will undergo reconstruction. Additionally, the zoning of the Pikaliiva 69 quarter includes plans to build a multifunctional sports complex and a concert hall.

We also consider it important to build public ice rinks in Haabersti and Kristiine.

Each city district should have a covered outdoor stage equipped with modern infrastructure and technological solutions. The city must also continue the development of "family nests" — family support centers — in every district.

In addition to new indoor facilities, we want to increase outdoor sports opportunities for Tallinn residents. This includes building new outdoor gyms, as well as recreational spaces for activities such as table tennis and ball games. We also propose the creation of walking and fitness trails in green areas, with the necessary supporting infrastructure such as lighting and parking.

Do you support the construction of an Olympic-standard swimming facility in Tallinn?

The architectural competition organized by the City of Tallinn for the Varraku swimming center and its surrounding area was won by VNDL Arhitektuur OÜ. The goal of the facility is to provide top-level training and competition conditions for Estonian athletes, while also offering modern practice facilities for young people in Tallinn.

Based on the winning design, the project must now move forward to ensure that an Olympic-standard swimming facility is completed as quickly as possible.

Utilities and street maintenance

• What grade would you give the Environment and Public Works Department for its procurement work over the past year and a half (bicycle shelters, public restrooms, benches)? What are your proposals for improving the situation?

Several issues have come to light within the Environment and Public Works Department, the most significant of which remains the department's limited capacity to plan and execute major investments. Investment and procurement plans must be realistic and completed on time.

Public procurements must be conducted fairly, transparently and in full compliance with the law. It is essential that taxpayer money is used responsibly and efficiently. This requires a critical review of the department's current workflows and changes to how its work is organized.

A recent audit by the City of Tallinn's internal control department, which examined procurements for outdoor benches and public toilets, found that the Environment and Public Works Department lacked sufficient oversight of the contracts it had signed. In one case, the product specifications in a street furniture tender were drafted based on items sold by specific companies.

Before initiating tenders, it is crucial to conduct market research and consult with experts and relevant stakeholders. These steps help improve the quality of tender requirements, which in turn streamlines the procurement process and ensures the desired outcome. Such measures also help ensure that projected construction costs align with actual conditions.

For large-scale procurements, it is important that additional points are awarded to bidders who can complete the work faster than their competitors.

Housing and subsistence

• What is your position on the city building rental housing? Do you support requiring private developers to allocate a certain number of apartments for municipal rental use?

No, such intervention is unreasonable. The city should focus on creating favorable conditions rather than heavily interfering in the real estate market. Improving housing accessibility should be done in cooperation with the private sector and by eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic barriers.

We consider the creation of a new Tallinn planning register essential, as it would streamline decision-making processes and make them more transparent for market participants.

The city's share in the housing market should be reduced. The city should review its unreasonably expensive lease agreements with the aim of subletting these as municipal rental units. The current situation shows that the city owns several hundred vacant municipal apartments, indicating that the actual demand for municipal housing is lower than the number of city-owned units.

Instead of building homes with taxpayer money, the city should consider offering housing loan guarantees for young families and implementing more effective support measures for those in need, enabling them to secure housing on the private market.

• Do you support abolishing the car tax at the national level and, until then, partially compensating it for families with children, people with disabilities and the elderly in Tallinn?

The car tax and registration fee must be abolished at the national level.

Education

Given that Estonia is facing a deep demographic crisis, do you support eliminating kindergarten fees for families in Tallinn?

In its 2020 education strategy, Tallinn set a goal to modernize its entire kindergarten network by 2030, when new national requirements for educational institutions will come into effect. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds of current facilities will not meet these standards, which means the city's top priority must be launching a large-scale kindergarten renovation program.

It is crucial that we ensure access to affordable, neighborhood-based kindergarten spots in every district. There is still a shortage of nursery group placements in Tallinn and the number of kindergarten spots needs to be increased in Kesklinn, Põhja-Tallinn, Haabersti and Pirita. Families whose children are not (yet) attending kindergarten also need more attention and support.

Isamaa believes that family security and birth rates must be supported through a combination of measures. Access to nearby kindergartens, a growth-oriented economic policy, reducing inflation and diverse support programs are all vital. In addition, issues affecting children and families must be addressed across policy areas. That is why the city government has approved the Tallinn Family Policy Framework.

• Does Isamaa support the continuation and increased funding of the measures developed during the Center Party–led city government to support the transition to Estonian-language education (such as the methodology and competence center, teacher language mobility project and extended school day program)?

Isamaa supports the transition to Estonian-language education and the measures introduced by the current city government to support that goal.

The requirement for teachers' Estonian language proficiency took effect on August 1, 2024. Russian-speaking teachers were given a transition period until August 1, 2025 to achieve at least B2-level proficiency. For teachers who teach Estonian or teach in Estonian, the required level is C1 and no transition period was granted. This means that, as of now, there should be no teachers in schools whose language skills are below B2. It is the responsibility of the Education Department to ensure compliance with these standards. When recruiting new teachers, the Estonian language requirement must be strictly enforced, but there should also be no compromises on subject-matter qualifications.

In transition schools, teachers need additional methodological training to implement modern teaching approaches — such as active learning, group work and student-centered instruction — that foster communication in Estonian. Schools must ensure that Estonian becomes not only the language of instruction but also the language of everyday interaction. This requires developing an Estonian-language learning environment beyond the classroom.

Monitoring conducted by the City of Tallinn has provided the Education Department with a clear picture of which schools are struggling most with the transition. We believe that in these schools, both oversight and support must be strengthened. In cooperation with school principals, necessary steps must be ensured — including the requirement that principals submit professional development schedules with concrete deadlines. These should show how the school plans to support teachers' mental well-being and professional growth in alignment with real needs.

It is also crucial to invest in hiring additional teachers and support staff to ensure the success of the transition to Estonian-language instruction. This requires targeted recruitment campaigns, enforcement of language and professional qualifications and offering competitive salaries.

• What are Isamaa's solutions to the situation where, in several Estonian-language schools — particularly in 4th grade — the proportion of non-Estonian-speaking students has increased to the point that it affects both the academic pace and the social environment of Estonian-speaking students? How can these students be supported immediately to prevent current learning gaps from appearing in standardized tests two years from now?

We have proposed increasing the number of support teachers specifically in 4th grades as a key solution. Additionally, options should be explored for offering language instruction to the parents of students as well, which would further support the transition to Estonian-language education.

The Education Department must continuously monitor the situation in Tallinn schools and, in cooperation with school leadership and the broader school community, ensure the necessary conditions for smooth and effective instruction.

It remains important to distinguish between designated "transition schools" and fully Estonian-language schools to avoid compromising the quality of education for native Estonian-speaking children. The goal must be to provide a high-quality education to all students in every school.

Classes and groups should be formed in a way that clusters students with similar levels of Estonian proficiency. This means organizing classrooms and preschool groups based on the specific needs and well-being of each child, including their Estonian language skills. Large discrepancies in language proficiency hinder effective learning for all. Estonian-speaking children must have the right to a place in a classroom or preschool group where the majority of children are also native Estonian speakers.

Honest city government

• Do you consider it appropriate that, under the current system introduced in the past year, the city's internal audit office first reports suspected violations to the mayor or do you prefer the earlier practice where the office had the right and duty to contact law enforcement directly without notifying the mayor?

If any city official or employee suspects that a violation or legal offense has occurred, they have a duty to report it to the appropriate city authority and to law enforcement agencies.

We do not support returning to the earlier practice where internal audit reports were shared solely with the mayor and did not reach the full city government. Transparency and the public disclosure of critical findings are essential foundations for implementing necessary reforms.

We believe the internal audit office should be given additional resources and expanded authority to systematically and consistently audit the activities of all city departments. This should also include institutions managed by the city, as current oversight of these entities is only sporadic.

We also consider it important to expand the powers of the Tallinn City Council's Audit Committee and the district council audit committees. These representative body committees must serve as key partners in ensuring strong oversight of taxpayer funds and the exercise of public authority.

A new Tallinn Anti-Corruption Action Plan must be adopted, introducing additional measures to prevent and mitigate risk.

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