Germans refreshed by Estonian success story

Photo: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP

In Berlin, it’s warm like summertime. Early on Wednesday morning, around 7.30 am, curious businessmen gather at the Reichstag rooftop restaurant – to listen to Estonian PM Andrus Ansip share a summary on Estonia’s experience in exiting crisis.

This is the economic panel of German governing Christian Democrats (CDU) – succeeding in luring the PM to be their guest.

PM gets a grand introduction by the CDU economic panel’s Berlin-Brandenburg department head Nikolaus Breuer. Triggering a hearty applause from the fifty people present.

With Estonian-like modesty, Mr Ansip tells them he was asked to speak on successful crisis exits. However, he is only able to reveal the lessons of Estonia’s mistakes. «Estonia is not so ideal that it could teach others, how to exit a crisis,» he adds.

Estonian success stories

With no embellishments and a Nordic charisma, Mr Ansip tells about Estonia’s hard times, reforms accomplished, and describes the state’s decision to join the eurozone. The talk is smartly spiced with slight humour-bites: like how, in the midst of the deepest crisis, a small country up and joins the eurozone. The public awards the speaker with kind-hearted bursts of laughter – the thought no new thing to them, thanks to German media.

But, craftily, Mr Ansip entwines the Estonian success story with euro – it is thanks to that very euro that we are able to share our success. According to Mr Ansip, euro dispelled financial risks and was a kind of a guarantee. One gets the impression of an Estonia with both feet firm on the ground: no illusions whatsoever, we’re all sobriety and prudency.

A guest thanks Mr Ansip for a refreshing viewpoint, even thought Germans are no strangers to the common currency’s advantages. Questions to PM abound, finally Mr Breuer will even have to calm the folks down a bit. The time being limited.

Still, Mr Ansip, in his answers, manages to advertise the many advantages of Estonia – like all entrepreneurs being treated equally – and to dispel the businessmen’s fears.

The PM also acknowledges that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, German businessmen had to concentrate on Eastern Germany and therefore, German participation in Estonian economy remains quite modest. «But I would like to see more German investments,» he adds.

The Germans are also fascinated by Estonian e-State success story. To which Mr Ansip, humbly again, replies that in Estonia, these achievements are not readily hailed as success. «It just happened that way,» Mr Ansip merrily shrugs his shoulders. Having used the same sentence with Estonia’s budget surplus and successful austerity as well.

«Filling the tax declaration, this year, took me a minute, perhaps. Some may take three, maybe five minutes, but there’s nothing to do in our e-Tax Board for ten minutes,» Mr Ansip continues to amuse the audience – referring to the arduous German income tax declaration. For, in Germany, it is quite common for any working person to hire a tax consultant, who helps master the complicated German tax system and correctly fill all the papers.

«People like comfortable solutions. All may be done at home, in the computer; no need to go out, anyplace,» Mr Ansip says, summarising the e-services. «It’s been a very natural process in Estonia and it works. This is our future.»

Thereafter Mr Ansip – in Germany for an official visit – underlines that he considers not Estonia special in IT-developments. The politician rather hopes for a future EU digital single market, in which states mutually share the best technological solutions.

Estonia in high esteem

Meeting successfully managed, the host Mr Breuer sighs deeply in relief, looking satisfied. He deems the speech a total success, the mood great. «The event provided a good perspective at things. In Germany, there is a rather critical view, in many aspects, on developments in Europe, and Mr Ansip’s positive presentation reminded us of other vital points: growth, the opportunity to use the vast single market, common currency, a possibility to live in Europe, live in peace,» he admits. «Sadly, in our everyday discussions, we no longer notice that enough. And to hear that from a country, only involved in EU for a short time, is very refreshing.»

Mr Breuer thinks that Estonia is in high regard in Germany, especially in view of such small state having made it despite the hardships. «It’s not the size, it’s having the right spirit to do things. We watch that with admiration,» he adds.

The criticism towards Estonian government, mentioned by Mr Ansip, Mr Breuer considers a common thing. «With structural reforms, bad points can always be found. It’s absolutely normal for people to find it hard going through the changes. But in a longer perspective, the change is worth it. As revealed by your growth figures,» he explains. «I understand that, for many years, reforms are complicated. But in perspective they are right. And, maybe, from outside of Estonia, the longer perspective is more easily seen.»