Parempoolsed: Tallinn coalition mirroring Reform's state-level policy
The Center Party's and Isamaa's actions in Tallinn are an exact copy of the Reform Party's pattern at the national level, as the policies of all three parties have been reduced to blanket subsidies and handing out free things, Parempoolsed leader Lavly Perling said.
Perling told ERR that while Estonia's economy is growing, there is nothing surprising about that, as periods of decline are naturally followed by periods of growth.
"Economic growth is certainly a good thing. Parempoolsed have been saying for four years that it holds the promise of a better standard of living for people. But we have always said that for growth to genuinely reach people, it must be sustainable, long-term and faster than that of our neighbors. In the case of this 2.4 percent economic growth, we need to look beyond the headline figure. /.../ When we look at what is behind it, we see domestic consumption, while the real danger is that there is no growth in exports or investment," Perling said, adding that exports are what bring money into the country and improve people's prosperity.
"Since that is missing, we must continue talking about the fact that the economy has been stagnant for four years and the next election is where that trend must be broken," Perling said.
Perling attributed the country's growing debt burden and strained public finances to the current parliamentary parties, while acknowledging that the government bears the largest share of responsibility. In her view, however, searching for someone to blame is pointless because the problems began a long time ago.
"I think the parties in power have reinforced each other's way of thinking — this competition over handing out free things and subsidies. That is also why Parempoolsed are sticking to our position. In reality, there are no other right-wing parties in Estonia. In the case of the Reform Party, we know and see how it is doing exactly the same thing, offering blanket subsidies, promises and populism /.../," the Parempoolsed leader said.
The Center Party announced Wednesday that it plans to initiate a no-confidence vote against Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi, a move Perling dismissed as hypocritical.
"The exact same kind of politics practiced by the Reform Party at the national level is also being practiced by the Center Party and Isamaa, which have apparently found common ground in Tallinn in terms of their values. The same subsidies for stay-at-home mothers and the same free handouts — it is exactly the same. It is exactly the same pattern. That is why it is so important for people to understand this time that four years ago we spoke about a decade of stagnation, half of which has now passed. I very much hope people will not allow themselves to be deceived again and will not once more choose the path where the vote goes to whoever promises the most," Perling said.
Support for Parempoolsed is growing and the party hopes to win 15 seats in the next Riigikogu.
"We have always said that we were founded to implement the right-wing policies we believe in and that have brought success to Estonia from the very beginning. Those policies are based on individual freedom and economic freedom. Once again, we come back to where money comes from: money comes when people have jobs and jobs are created by entrepreneurs. In other words, people's freedom and limited state intervention," Perling said.
According to the Parempoolsed leader, Estonia does not need a welfare-state model.
"A person's ability to make decisions about their own life is a value. Second, a free economy, and third, a free state. These are the principles we will continue to stand for and I believe we can demonstrate in a very practical way what our solutions are. Because at the end of the day, everything rests on the economy," Perling said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Johanna Alvin
Source: "Esimene stuudio"
