Ratas makes double change to government composition

Jaak Aab and Anneli Ott. Photo: Eero Vabamägi

Candidate for public administration minister Anneli Ott (Center Party) says she will make sure next of kin of MS Estonia victims will be given honest and clear answers as concerns the investigation into its sinking. Incoming education minister Jaak Aab (Center) plans to fight for teachers’ pay rise being included in the next state budget.

The government has already changed ministers seven times. Why undertake another such operation?

Aab: That question would be better put to the prime minister. Different candidates are weighed, and if you have taken on that responsibility once, you need to do it again.

Anneli Ott, when was the proposal to become public administration minister made?

Ott: I cannot tell you the precise time of day, but it was yesterday (day before – ed.) evening.

A very short time in which to make your decision?

Ott: Quite, yes.

You lack experience serving as minister. You will be working with Minister of Finance Martin Helme (EKRE) who is in the habit of making decisions in other ministers’ administrative areas. How are you planning on standing up for yourself?

Ott: I have been in politics for a long time and have experience from various situations. I believe Martin Helme and I will get along swimmingly and work toward common goals.

Can we expect major investments to Võru County where you are from?

Ott: The development of Southeast Estonia is no doubt important for me and I will contribute to its greater visibility. Not just Southeast Estonia, but rather all areas that are less developed and where people have had modest opportunities. It is one of my strengths, being able to see that these regions need greater contribution.

Jaak Aab, are Yana Toom and Mihhail Kõlvart very disappointed over the fact neither was offered the education portfolio?

Aab: Another question that should rather be directed at the prime minister. It was Jüri Ratas who made the proposal after considering various people. Mihhail Kõlvart is always present at board meetings and Yana Toom has also been involved. I cannot tell you anything more about specific proposals.

Mihhail Kõlvart has become increasingly critical of the government’s decisions. Right now, he is against the decision to put high school classes on full remote learning and finds that a more flexible solution is in order. What say you to him?

Aab: It needs to be considered moving forward. We do not know how this situation will develop. The decision was not an easy one to make for the government. No one wants to put kids on remote study, but we need to contain the coronavirus somehow. And one measure is to reduce the number of contacts between people, especially since the virus has started to spread among young people who will pass it on to older people.

Anneli Ott, one of the most important tasks in your new office will be to make sure Estonia has enough masks. The government decided today (yesterday – ed.) to give least privileged people two multiple use masks each. You will need 40,000 reusable masks immediately. How quickly will you be able to come up with them?

Ott: The government has been working on it since the crisis began. I do not think it is something the incoming minister needs to invent. Decisions have been made, including realistic ways of handing out the masks. I believe it is not a question personally for me as minister of how to handle it. It is teamwork and I believe the team has done just fine so far.

Jaak Aab, there was a moment in spring when everyone was looking at you and there seemed to be no home front support.

Aab: It was an unexpected situation for the entire world. Estonia is in no way special in this. We needed to get organized quickly and have a team in charge of these matters. We managed in spring and I believe we will manage now. We have enough masks in our central stockpile.

Teachers have vowed to go on strike next year. How do you plan to avoid that with no money to hike their salaries?

Aab: I hope that teachers’ salaries will not stagnate and I will do by best to make sure of it. When I was asked to take up this post, my first question to the PM was whether we are doing everything we can to hike the salaries of teachers.

Will it happen next year?

Unfortunately, I cannot say. Everyone wants a promise up front, while it will definitely be among the things I will go after at budget talks.

Anneli Ott, your family has several generations of politicians. Your father Jaak Ott served as mayor of Võru until he perished on board the ferry MS Estonia in 1994. The disaster took the lives of both your parents. How do you plan to make sure the new investigation into the ferry’s sinking doesn’t simply fade away and that the wreck will really be investigated 26 years later?

Ott: It is only natural that it is my desire to do so and I will give it everything I’ve got to try and make sure we will be able to give clear and honest answers to people who have every right to expect them.

Jaak Aab, the police have launched misdemeanor proceedings regarding Mailis Reps (former education minister suspected of misusing state property – ed.) based on the Anti-Corruption Act. Why is the Center Party still stumbling from one scandal to the next even after Edgar Savisaar is out of the game?

Aab: I’m not sure to how many corruption scandals you are referring. What has been happening in connection with Mailis can be best explained by her. I recognize the work she has done during her fourth posting as minister and I believe I will largely be picking up where she left off. It was her personal decision to resign and take political responsibility and only she can comment on the details.