Editorial: fresh spring winds or windows firmly shut

Photo: Urmas Nemvalts

With month and a half to go till general elections, hopes are somewhat up. Dissatisfaction with state of affairs has sent a signal: changes expected. In two ways, at least.

On the one hand, opinions have been voiced that a fresh spring is needed next to the political-technical decay. On the other, there’s the ever increasing need for such governance as would pay more attention to people while engaged with the larger and often externally oriented goals. To a degree, the latter has resulted from the prudent development of things: freshly independent again, we had a greater need for patriotic goals and, while the economy was being built up, a clear rightwing idea; now, there’s the understanding underlined that we have come to the place where social policy needs a boost. As also reflected in the election programmes by parties. This, in turn, shows a welcome flexibility of the latter.

To the desire for a fresh political spring, parties have responded by new candidates as showcased in all of them. Even so, this may not suffice to clear the air. What will the new faces help if the political system stays the same: newcomers are more prone to adopt the ways of oldies than the oldies to bend to a new way of getting things done. But in some issues the bending is badly needed.

Therefore, let the voter watch and be vigilant when it comes to political sincerity in the party busyness. As indicated by two domains pointed out in Postimees today: decoy ducks running, and financing of the parties.

Regarding the first, we recommend Kaja Kallas (Reform Party) and Marju Lauristin (soc dems) refusing to run as both intend to stay MEP. Meanwhile we’d doubt if Tunne Kelam (IRL) and Yana Toom (Centre Party) plan to come back home from Brussels. Same goes somewhat for Urmas Paet (Reform Party) who swapped being foreign minister for a place on a bench in European Parliament. True, Ms Toom directly links her return to Centre Party getting into government and Mr Paet to getting a portfolio, but why not better heed the communication teacher Agu Uudelepp: focus on the candidates who intend to justify the trust.

The other important indicator is financing of the parties. A glance at last year statistics reveals the same old is prevailing. As before, membership fees make up the tiniest fraction of monetary sources. Still, private donors include people who seem to have poured in a sum disproportionate with their income. Till much greater control is not exercised regarding financing of the parties, difficult for voters to see who of the parties are playing fair. But this we do know: voters are waiting for an upgrade of honesty. Whichever party will credibly meet said need will have taken a step closer to voter.