Entering into office, a member of Estonian government vows to bear responsibility before the state and own conscience. Meaning, an executive politician carries a greater weight. A politician may shame his party and himself; a minister will smear the government and the state. However strong-worded, a minister can’t just afford to blurt it out – in whatever media.
For Estonia, Jürgen Ligi has been an excellent finance minister whose straightforwardness and sharpness has been praised by very opponents. Even so, with puns it may be hard to draw the line.
Publicly, Mr Ligi did apologise yesterday having Facebooked soc dem vice chairman and education minister Jevgeni Ossinovski as «immigrant’s son from a pink party». Repeatedly, Mr Ligi stressed the statement was not meant to be a put-down based on nationality.
It probably wasn’t, but Mr Ligi – doubtless an eloquent and experienced politician – ought to understand why the expression hit home this very way, and in such a painful manner. The reason not being media storm whipped up by political rivals, but the extremely sensitive social sphere that he this time choose to test. While stepping on this kind of ice, one will unavoidably challenge cohesion of Estonian society, as its security.
For historic reasons, role played in Estonia by national minorities is vast at the moment. President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, one to condemn the utterance yesterday, has throughout his term talked emphatically about compatriots and opposed the us/aliens divide. Over the years, Estonian state has spent lots of time, energy and money on integration. The processes haven’t been as fast and effective as desired, but the effort has not been in vain.
In a certain social and cultural context, a humorist may perhaps afford some irony; a politician needs to come across straight and substantiated. So that’s what we are now expecting of finance minister Mr Ligi and Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas alike, when solving the problem created. Between themselves, the coalition partners need to consider if a silly thing needs to trigger governmental crisis at a time of vital political decisions and amid foreign political tensions.