By now, who would doubt that security will be a major issue at the Riigikogu elections, come spring. Probably, enhanced attention would have been due to it with Ukraine alone, but then the rhetoric would still have been the usual «we will guarantee 2 percent of GDP for defence» and some general words on the importance of NATO etc.
In the current state of things, defence talk will be more detailed, deeper, and thorough – as further confirmed by the Reform Party week-end council allotting a whopping lot of time to the subject and throwing up ideas. The party’s previous move whereby the issue of length and (on certain conditions) voluntariness of conscription came into the public limelight, then to be quite vigorously denied and to be grabbed speedily by opponents, caused confusion and media noise – planned, probably. No doubt, via the messaged fed to the society the prime ministerial party is already involved in election campaign.
On the one hand, why not welcome the squirrels’ initiatives. On the other hand, like in any domain we should see the big national defence picture. So, also, with the promises and proposals by parties we should see if the changes are the essential kind – or just the technical type of correction of mistakes which is rather the job for officials and not politicians. But that’s what the so-called soldier welfare package smells like.
In reality, there’s not much here to be debated. In the current situation, any party ought to support anything that serves to improve or defence capacity. Boosting the guarantees for conscripts and reservists (fees, insurance) should not be a place for political point-scoring, rather the matter-of-fact stuff which the Riigikogu could – should, perhaps! – discuss in nearest of future. And pay rise for professional defence staff could also be a point of political consensus, as the tending of social concerns of veterans of missions. And so on and so forth. The idea of national defence taught at schools is worthy of consideration – this needs not be seen as providing military skills and knowhow, rather the general and practical everyday education.
Even so, national defence comes with huge matters of principle. Like those treated by the new National Defence Act. How does the chain of command actually work in a situation of war; who is replacing whom in leadership and in which situation? What will be the role and responsibility of the private sector? While this act is processed in Toompea, let’s keep an interested eye on the competence and standpoints of the various political powers on the subject.