Jüri Ratas hoping for coalition with soc dems

Photo: Tairo Lutter / Postimees

Yesterday was Disappointment Day for negotiators among reformer-squirrels and soc dems as Riigikogu Vice President Jüri Ratas opted to say in native Centre Party – one filled with «energy, eagerness and enthusiasm».

This is the third time you have pondered leaving Centre Party behind, but you’ve always stayed. The first time was when you were manoeuvred off the Tallinn Mayor seat; then came the party congress where you narrowly lost out to Edgar Savisaar in battle to be No 1; and now again. So what was the lure?

Talking about 2007, I have never weighed leaving the party. That’s a fact. Talking about this time now, what did it for me was I see the need to change the political situation in Estonia. Considering which party does best address the varying groups in Estonian society, it’s the same party I’m member of these past 14 years. The Centre Party.

Important, also, was what I saw during the past two weeks when Kadri Simson’s candidacy was up. I detected very strong support for Kadri within the party, as well as from the outside. That serves to say lots of people have energy, eagerness, and enthusiasm. By that, I got hopes that Centre Party is indeed able to change the Estonian society, making it more cohesive, secure, and strong.

You’re talking about changes, about yourself, about Ms Simson, but there’s a «but» – Mr Savisaar. The changes can never been carried out together with him and the status of a party in constant opposition.  

The parties are preparing for elections. It’s not a sign of great political maturity if, in 2014 or 2015, we are talking about just one persona, one card, in Estonian politics. I do believe there’s more of that maturity, actually, as also hinted by the soc dems leader Sven Mikser who said he is not excluding cooperation with Centre Party.

Perhaps, then, you and Mr Mikser have definite data about Mr Savisaar no longer the Centre Party leader in run-up to next elections or after it – other parties having excluded cooperation with a party led by Mr Savisaar?

I feel in that sense me and Mr Mikser are indeed able to read a writing on the wall, in Estonian society. And the writing is: these past two years soc dems and Centre Party support has exceeded that of Reform Party’s and IRL’s. And that will provide for quite a good ground to have another kind of coalition after March 1^st elections.

I’d like to create a coalition with the aim of not seeing the population shrink, not leaving abroad, to have natural growth go up. One thing is the tax and economic policy and changes thereof; but both soc dems and us have been saying that regional-politically Estonian needs a very strong change. The third is changes in educational policy.

Was it a «punishment» by Mr Savisaar, for dissidence, to send you to fight other titans in Harju and Rapla Counties at the March elections, where you may not get the Mustamäe and Nõmme kind of a result next to Taavi Rõivas, Juhan Parts and Mr Mikser?

Harju and Rapla County are Estonia’s largest [electoral] territory. It is an honour for me to be there with three prime ministerial candidates, and two heads of parties.

The people do see how people are pampered and bought in Centre Party... A criminally convicted ex-minister is hired by city powers. Reading your decision: you consider this to be right. That the right style for Estonia’s development?

I desire to continue the policy where the party addresses as broad a spectrum of Estonian society as possible, and sees to that Estonian people do not leave abroad.

You did not answer the question.

I desire to do all for the nation of Estonians to be more tolerant.