Administrative reform plan offered by Regional Affairs Minister Siim Kiisler will probably not be supported by coalition comrade Reform Party nor all local government leaders, said Sven Mikser, head of Social Democrats.
Soc Dems chief: Kiisler’s admin reform success improbable
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According to Mr Mikser, Mr Kiisler and his team have chosen the right path, which will, however, be stalled by various controversies.
«Basically the path is not wrong, but it’s a halfway solution. For a long time already, there has been the hope that local governments will agree between themselves. Still, a noticeable consolidation will evidently take longer that IRL is offering,» claimed Mr Mikser.
«It could be speeded up if, on government level, solutions would be offered to the main issues: what would be the local governments’ obligations, and how would these be covered by revenue base. These are the questions that need to be answered first. It is an upside down approach to say: let us merge the municipalities so that they will become stronger and then we will add to their obligations,» he said, criticising Mr Kiisler’s vision.
There are other contradictions, such as this reform not putting a stop to peripherisation. «This is a so-called pulling back the frontline, by the state. Saying: let’s keep the front, at least with major population hubs.»
According to Mr Mikser, it is very likely that local governments will not be able, within the time frame given, to agree upon mergers – and then forced mergers should be applied. That, however, would not suit IRL’s coalition partner Reform Party.
«As much as I have heard from Reform Party along these lines, they have been very explicit in saying that they could in no way support forced mergers. Which, as we may see, will set a limit on how far the current coalition could go,» mused Mr Mikser.
«This admin reform has been bounced and initiated for years on end, at least the whole time that I’ve been in Toompea-level politics i.e. the last 14 years. I’m not overly optimistic that, in months ahead, there would be a breakthrough. Nor do I believe that in the two years to come, a large-scale admin reform would happen. I consider it rather unlikely.»
Mr Mikser said that in the big scheme of things, soc dems are ready to support the reform plan. However, they do not favour forced mergers.