12.06.25 OPINION ... Abolishing kindergarten fees in Tallinn is simply a decoy for the Reform Party, which wants to put the Social Democrats (SDE) in a bind, both in the capital and nationally, SDE chair Lauri Läänemets writes.

12.06.25 OPINION ... Legal clarity in the context of the law amending the Churches and Congregations Act is needed by everyone affected by this law: Churches, congregations, unions of congregations, monasteries and convents, religious associations, and their representatives, writes head of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) Archbishop Urmas Viilma.

11.06.25 OPINION ... The Pihlakodu case has revealed that the Estonian state tends to operate in so-called silos. We must be able to actively coordinate cooperation between state institutions ourselves, even when an ongoing criminal investigation and the principles of the rule of law clearly limit what we can and may intervene in, writes Liisa Pakosta.

11.06.25 OPINION ... If we want local life to thrive, we must trust the people who know the local conditions and give communities the means to take responsibility for their own affairs — and that requires financial capability, writes Silver Kuusik.

11.06.25 OPINION ... Harri Tiido takes a look at Wlodzimierz Baczkowski's view of Russia. The Polish author concludes that in order to stop Russia's destructive influence, the country needs to be rendered utterly powerless.

10.06.25 OPINION ... The new coalition agreement is an extensive list of highly specific yet often vaguely worded goals and actions, notes Martin Mölder in his Vikerraadio daily commentary.

09.06.25 OPINION ... It increasingly seems as though those in power have forgotten that the Estonian people are the state — its highest authority. It is the government, rather, that has the duty to represent and serve the people living and working in their own land, writes Anneli Ott.

08.06.25 OPINION ... Sometimes it feels like if you gathered all of Estonia's communications specialists, you'd have a full-fledged army — but the story of the Siil 2025 exercise showed that it's easier to report on a real war in Ukraine than on war games in Estonia, writes Anton Aleksejev.

04.06.25 OPINION ... In this episode of the Vikerraadio series "Harri Tiido taustajutud," Finland's relationship with Russia is examined with the help of Alpo Rusi. Rusi believes that Russian intelligence services still had the ability to influence Finland's domestic and foreign policy in the 1990s, Tiido notes.

04.06.25 OPINION ... A ceasefire will not help Russia reach its objectives and the current negotiations are merely a show meant to buy time while continuing hostilities in the background, writes Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200).

04.06.25 OPINION ... The entire combat doctrine of the EDF and Defense League must be rewritten. Once that's done, the entire force must be restructured to meet modern objectives — ruthlessly abandoning all nostalgia for outdated tactics, techniques and equipment, writes Maj. (reserve) Rene Toomse.

03.06.25 OPINION ... Wind farms should first and foremost be located where their energy can be used locally and where consumers already exist for the electricity produced, writes Ingrid Nielsen.

02.06.25 OPINION ... As soon as I had the chance to exit the second pension pillar in 2021, I withdrew my €16,000 — and I haven't regretted the decision for a moment. The hope that banks will help us save for retirement is a dystopian fantasy in an aging society, writes Nils Niitra.

02.06.25 OPINION ... Estonia and Japan may be geographically far apart, but their views on international security and major powers have been pushed closer together by the turbulent global environment, writes Kristi Raik, director of the International Center for Defense and Security in Tallinn.

02.06.25 OPINION ... Many Estonians are unfamiliar with the country's outlying regions — and often even with the more remote places in central Estonia — writes Aimar Ventsel, who recommends making a trip to Kihnu this summer, as he did.

26.05.25 OPINION ... If we permit artificial intelligence (AI) into use in the court system, even as the logic behind AI's decisions would remain a secret, we would risk losing trust in the justice system. Karoliina Ainge and Kaimar Karu write.

23.05.25 OPINION ... Restoring the hydrology of the Kikepera Nature Reserve and Soomaa National Park does not mean destroying nature. What's being restored are ecosystems tied to peatlands — rich in biodiversity and characteristic of the Estonian landscape, writes Jüri-Ott Salm.

23.05.25 OPINION ... In his Vikerraadio commentary, Harri Tiido's focus is on Russia's war veterans. One distinctive feature of Russian veterans, Tiido notes, is that many were sent to the front straight from prison — and a large number of them have known no other life than the prison camp or war.

23.05.25 OPINION ... Increases in income tax, value-added tax and excise duties — along with the introduction of a car tax — are piling up, making it increasingly difficult for people in vulnerable situations to get by. Just because a tax hike is applied uniformly doesn't mean its impact is equally bearable, writes Christian Veske.

21.05.25 OPINION ... If everyone, including women, contributes to Estonia's defense according to their abilities and skills, we will not only deter the enemy but also boost public confidence, reduce fear and make our society more self-assured and our national defense stronger, writes Lavly Perling.

21.05.25 OPINION ... We can confidently say that conservatism and rational politics are undergoing a revival in Europe — and judging by recent poll results, similar developments can be expected in Estonia as well, write Riho Terras and Jüri Ratas.

21.05.25 OPINION ... At the end of the last century, the explanatory notes for detailed plans and construction projects were just a couple of pages long. Procedures ballooned explosively once authorities began responding on a case-by-case basis, writes Ike Volkov.

20.05.25 OPINION ... The interplay of domestic and global forces — shaped by political realism and features of the market state — forms the basis for national security policy and strategy, which must be directed toward protecting the state's core interests, writes Meelis Kiili.

20.05.25 OPINION ... Kikepera in Saarde Municipality is one of Estonia's key capercaillie habitats, where the birds are thriving. Whether large-scale peatland restoration work fiercely protested by locals will ensure them the same success is unclear — but the EU-funded work is set to move quickly, writes Kadri-Aija Viik.

19.05.25 OPINION ... In a sense, this is the darkest hour for Estonian democracy in recent times. A government with such low support inevitably struggles to govern effectively, since whatever it does is likely to go against the will of the majority of voters, writes Martin Mölder in his Vikerraadio daily commentary.

19.05.25 OPINION ... I believe it is time to establish a tradition in which the heads of internal security institutions present a joint annual internal security briefing to the government — one that would logically complement the military advice provided by the commander of the EDF, writes Igor Taro.

17.05.25 OPINION ... Europe is undefeated economically and politically, but now, more than ever, Europe has to become strong militarily as well. A strong NATO with a strong Europe will be credible, confident and therefore at peace, President Alar Karis said in his speech at the opening dinner of the Lennart Meri Conference 2025 on Friday night.

16.05.25 OPINION ... Wednesday's test of Estonia's public warning system can be seen as either a failure or a valuable learning experience — but one thing's for sure: everyone had something to say about it, notes journalism researcher Marju Himma in Friday's daily comment on Vikerraadio.

16.05.25 OPINION ... In theory, Estonia can certainly dream up all kinds of energy solutions, but a reality check must begin with the question of whether paying for them is economically sensible and feasible, writes Lauri Laats.

15.05.25 OPINION ... It is irresponsible to use costly human resources for traffic enforcement tasks that could be handled by machines and artificial intelligence, writes Kristian Jaani, director of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences' Police and Border Guard College.

15.05.25 OPINION ... On Wednesday, Estonia tested its emergency alert sirens and sent out test messages to the public. We bring you the stories of seven Estonians — whether the alerts reached them or not, and what they did (or didn't do) when they did (or didn't) receive them.

14.05.25 OPINION ... Estonia is rapidly developing its defense capabilities, with key efforts focused on swift procurement, personnel development and the simultaneous integration of modern wartime experience, writes Alar Laneman.

12.05.25 OPINION ... The "dead internet theory" may still be filed under conspiracy theories — for now — but likely not for much longer, as the rot has already become plainly visible, writes Tristan Priimägi, originally in Sirp.

12.05.25 OPINION ... We must not let hurray-patriotism drive Estonia's transition to Estonian-language education, Rene Kundla writes. Instead of slogans, we need to find a balance between ideals and practical realities.

09.05.25 OPINION ... Preserving nature and our living environment isn't about locking values away like museum pieces. The goal is to ensure the continuity of our surroundings and conduct ourselves in a way that sustains us as a people and a culture, writes Tiit Maran.

09.05.25 OPINION ... The focus of the debate on foreign labor in Estonia should shift from the question of whether to allow it to under what principles it should be brought in, write OSKA analysts Silja Lassur, Andres Viia and Yngve Rosenblad.

09.05.25 OPINION ... The rise in the meaning and messaging of May 9 came with Vladimir Putin's propaganda-fueled imperial ambitions — and today, May 9 has also become a day of threats, notes Raul Rebane in his daily commentary on Vikerraadio.

08.05.25 OPINION ... The goals of the Tallinn merged hospital threaten the University of Tartu's medical education and international standing. The solution lies in creating smaller merged hospitals, fostering healthy competition and increasing the University of Tartu's collaboration with the merged hospitals, writes Kristjan Vassil.

08.05.25 OPINION ... The transport sector faces major challenges, including how to reduce emissions and dependence on private cars. Part of the answer lies in vehicle sharing, writes a doctoral student at Tallinn University of Technology.

07.05.25 OPINION ... It is high time to carry out Tallinn's major hospital reform — something the Center Party never really wanted to tackle. Merging Tallinn's hospitals would improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare services both in the capital and across Northern Estonia, writes Pärtel-Peeter Pere.

07.05.25 OPINION ... China doesn't need to conquer Siberia. It's simpler and more profitable to strip Russia's Siberia and Far East of all available resources, Aimar Ventsel notes in his Vikerraadio commentary.

06.05.25 OPINION ... Since 1991, the Baltic states have risen from Soviet obscurity to become some of Europe's most dynamic democracies. But as Russia returns to imperial aggression and Western unity fractures, the postwar order that once safeguarded their freedom is crumbling. Today, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania face their most precarious security environment in a generation.

05.05.25 OPINION ... By following bloggers and speaking with friends and acquaintances living in Russia, it appears that the majority of Russians are trying to live as though nothing has happened. Some manage this surprisingly well, notes Aimar Ventsel in his Vikerraadio daily commentary.

05.05.25 OPINION ... In a world where geopolitical tensions are rising and freedoms are coming under pressure in many countries, it is increasingly important for Estonia to stand up for the values of democracy and an open society. A strong civil society is not merely an ideal but a cornerstone of our shared security and well-being, writes Mall Hellam.

04.05.25 OPINION ... Many believe that the green-woke ideology has already demonstrated its inability to address major challenges in a way that resonates with the majority of voters and avoids provoking Trumpist and Orbanist backlash, writes Tõnis Saarts in a commentary originally published in Sirp magazine.

04.05.25 OPINION ... Party ratings clearly show that Estonians can no longer be swayed by even the most polished slogans. The Estonian people will not — and should not — settle for anything less than a thoughtful and credible action plan, writes Mihhail Kõlvart.

02.05.25 OPINION ... Claiming that prices rise independently of us and that there is nothing we can do is false. We surely can, Bigbank economist Raul Eamets writes.

30.04.25 OPINION ... In today's world — where trade wars are rattling stock markets and uncertainty about economic growth is on the rise — it is crucial for the financial system to function smoothly and for banks to remain resilient. At the heart of this lies a key question: what role does bank profitability play in this process, writes Jaak Tõrs.

30.04.25 OPINION ... In economics, morality lies not in avoiding debt but in the skillful and responsible use of resources. When capital is cheap and backed by productivity, putting it to use is wisdom, not weakness. Ignoring this is not ethical — it's harmful, writes Peep Kuld.

30.04.25 OPINION ... Greater emphasis should be placed on relations with Poland. First, the country has played a key logistical role in supplying weapons to Ukraine, and second, it has a historically sober understanding of what Russia truly represents, writes Peeter Kaldre.