3,270 days as Prime Minister

Argo Ideon
, poliitika- ja majandus­­analüütik
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Photo: Peeter Langovits / Postimees

Today, Andrus Ansip (57) spent his last day in charge of government of Estonia, thus totalling eight years, 11 months, and two weeks. In the afternoon, Taavi Rõivas took the baton, at Toompea.

Mr Ansip is a politician whose rise to Prime Minister was predicted long in advance. He never advertised his next steps, though.

In the fall of 2004, while still Mayor of Tartu, Mr Ansip gave me an interview, about to run for Reform Party chairmanship. «I don’t think that it’s me and no-one else,» said the man, in his comfy town hall chair. «I don’t have that high a self esteem.»

Also, we covered the rumours that he’d promptly become prime minister. Mr Ansip said he’d read about that in the newspapers, and has no more information. «Naturally, there’s no work underway towards that.»

So Mr Ansip turned out economy minister in the government of Juhan Parts (Res Publica). Pretty soon, squirrels quarrelled with the republicans. The next time me and Mr Ansip talked was in the spring, at economy ministry in Tallinn. The man was extremely busy: indeed he was just about to become prime minister.

«Prime ministerial post is no goal in itself, for Reform Party,» said Mr Ansip. Asked how big his desire to become prime minister, he replied: «My personal wishes or non-wishes aren’t relevant. That’s not an argument at all, nor a force affecting events.»

Bronze teaches toughness

Mr Ansip’s first government worked for 723 days. In it, Edgar Savisaar was economy minister; in addition to Centre Party, People’s Union had slice of the pie.

Back then, the later antagonism wasn’t there yet between Mr Ansip and Mr Savisaar; on the contrary – as Mr Savisaar came under attack for a house at Keila-Joa, prime minister stepped to his defence.

«Both have two feet, two hands, one head, two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears,» listed Mr Ansip, when asked about similarities between the two of them. «Well we’re different as people, but we share several similar views on life.»

Mr Ansip became prime minister during one of the biggest booms in Estonia. And the March elections of 2007 marked his triumph. At elections party at Madisson Pub, Tallinn, he was sung at top of lungs: «We Are the Champions!» Personally, Mr pocketed 22,540 votes.

Also, he was prime minister during one of the worst political crisis in the again-independent Estonia. No wonder, if historians will be dividing Mr Ansip’s governments according to Bronze Night in April 2007 – before and after – and not according to elections.

In early spring of 2007, Mr Ansip has rejected former partners and had created a government with IRL and soc dems. The Bronze Night development was many-layered, encompassing the ever-increasing concern over a source of tensions, and political ambitions of parties.

Considering earlier events at the Tallinn bronze man, on May 9th 2006, Mr Ansip wanted to prevent problems; even so, it went otherwise. Politicians weren’t expecting large-scale disturbances.

With the mess on their hands, however, the Estonian state powers acted decisively. A dramatic moment arrived on early morning, April 27th, as government passed quick decision to take the statue away immediately, then proceeding to execute at lightning speed. From an interview at the end of April, 2007, this is what I remember most: «This is not possible, that the whole Tallinn is devastated and the only thing that is intact is the bronze soldier.»

After that, Mr Ansip was a prime minister free from criticism for many a month. For Estonian domestic policy, the Bronze Night had several important consequences. One being the severed communication between Mr Savisaar and Mr Ansip.

Mr Savisaar offered no support to the government, leading to condemnation by many Estonians. Support of Reform Party, however, skyrocketed, and for a time Mr Ansip exited the realm of criticism. Even the politicians in Estonia who thought he made a mistake with the bronze man, realised they’d better wait with expressing their opinions.

Crisis teaches statistics

Self-confidence of Prime Minister became legendary. Therefore, Mr Ansip was sometimes referred to as an UFO. In 2008, at a governmental press conference, the ETV humorist Anatoli Tafitšuk asked him about it. Mr Ansip launched into an unexpectedly deep answer, analysing the possible parallels and differences of his, with aliens. «Deeming me to be an UFO... it is supposed, by definition, to an unidentified flying object. In my case, the flight phase at times is present; I do take a plane occasionally. The unidentified part, though, remains unanswered.»

Mr Ansip was prime minister during a deepest economic crisis in Estonia’s history. That’d be worthy of a longer essay; the fact remains, he kept us on a straight course during a very complicated period. As was noticed, also, abroad.

The recession was a time that the prime minister developed a deepening interest towards statistics. For journalists, Mr Ansip became a problematic person to interview – not equally armed with facts and figures, don’t dare show up.

Immediately, as the worst of crisis was over, Mr Ansip was the prime minister that took Estonia into eurozone.

Also, he was the prime minister that, despite the deep recession, was re-elected. Regarding that, he thus mused: «Definitely, no prime minister should act so as to exhaust his entire trust and all of his ideas during one definite election period. [---] Prime ministers not only in Estonia, but in other countries, do not belong to themselves only; and they are not totally free in their decisions whether to continue serving the country or nit. Prime ministers are obligated to continue as long as the people desire them to continue.»

And, finally, Mr Ansip became a prime minister who stepped down at his own initiative, having declared the intent long in advance.

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