EDITORIAL ⟩ Invasion of sexy men

Hey, it's cramped in here! Who lobbied to squeeze a fourth one in? Illustration: Urmas Nemvalts

• In 2003, the Res Publica party promised us more sexy men in their street advertising campaign.
• These sexy men are now here and driving taxis, but they mostly do not speak Estonian.
• Bolt's business is Bolt's business, but the Estonian state should prioritize our national interests.

Before the referendum on joining the European Union (EU) in 2003, Res Publica plastered Estonian streets with advertising posters «More sexy men. Yes to Europe!» These featured faces of swarthy southern Europeans taken from international image banks.

Now, these sexy men are here and driving taxis, but very often they are not from EU countries. Moreover, their lack of Estonian language skills, which should actually be a requirement in the service sector, complicates communication.

Ironically, it is the EU that stands for their rights (we are not talking about a right to not have any language skills, however). In March, the EU adopted a directive that requires platform workers, such as taxi drivers for Bolt, to have employment contracts and right to social benefits. Until now, Bolt, like other platform-providing companies, has been declaring that its platform operators are not actually company employees but independent entrepreneurs. They have to deal with their own social guarantees and taxes; it is not the companies' concern.

A rule-of-law state should treat market participants equally and uphold basic quality standards to ensure that sexy men can speak Estonian.

But whose concern is it then? If one delves into these people's backgrounds, further questions arise: how did they end up in Estonia, would they be able to meet the requirements necessary to obtain a (taxi) license, including language proficiency, and when was the last time they paid any taxes?

These are questions about service quality and fair competition. Bolt cannot simply wash its hands clean. The Estonian state, which reportedly lobbied in the European Union to nudge the directive in Bolt's interests, thereby relegating our national interests to the background, should also want answers. Even though Bolt brings honor and fame to Estonia as a unicorn (a startup valued at over a billion dollars), a rule-of-law state should treat market participants equally and stand for basic quality standards to ensure that sexy men can speak Estonian.

One issue is Bolt lobbying in Estonian agencies and through them in Brussels – which is not in itself forbidden, provided the activity is public. However, the publication Euractiv has claimed that a former Bolt employee had taken up a position at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, through whom hidden lobbying targeting the EU was being conducted in the ministry.

Bolt's domestic treatment in Estonia is another issue. Since the adopted EU regulation is a directive and not a regulation, EU member states can largely choose how to adapt it. It can be assumed that Bolt wants to maintain its business model—at least in Estonia—and will continue lobbying our government circles. The Estonian state should not fall for Bolt's tactics in this matter.

The rumors of special treatment for Bolt can only be dispelled in practice if the Estonian state takes a close look at these sexy taxi-driving men who have no language skills and likely arrived here on student visas.