TALLINN — In his Independence Day address, Estonian President Toomas Henrik Ilves identified unemployment as the biggest problem the country faces and stressed that cross-party cooperation and the euro adoption will combat it.

In a speech that was broadcast live on national television Wednesday evening from Tartu’s Vanemuine Theater, Ilves called for unemployment benefits to be [private_supervisor]extended.

According to Statistics Estonia Estonian unemployment is 14.6 percent of the population, its highest level since the country became independent of the U.S.S.R. nearly two decades ago. Presently unemployment benefits last nine months, covering 50 percent of jobless person’s previous salary for the first five months, and 40 percent for remaining four months.

“Something has been done … but it is not enough,” Ilves said. “It is time to admit that the job market is not following our system, so our system must follow the job market.”

Although Estonia’s parliamentary election is still more than a year away, political rhetoric is already rife with campaign populism, which President Ilves criticized. He asserted that Estonia’s often quarrelsome political parties should focus more on finding at least some consensus on how to overcome the country’s economic problems.

“A year before the parliamentary elections, as a citizen and a voter, I would like to see that the parties would find a sensible agreement on the subjects that the parties will focus on in the starting campaign,” said Ilves. “In my opinion those issues are public administration, the future of education, tax and budget politics, that considers the nation’s long term needs, and demographic reality.”

There is one issue where the left and right find agreement — the adoption of the euro, something Ilves praised. Estonia is the only Baltic state to have remained within the Maastricht criteria’s strict guidelines for eurozone entry, and looks set to join next year.

Ilves said that if Estonia will adopt euro, it will be the most integrated country in Northern Europe, as only Estonia will be a part of the European Union, eurozone, Schengen Area and NATO.

A bumpy road to staying free

While the rest of the speech decried a lack of drive on education and administrative reform, high levels of corruption, emigration and bureaucratic mismanagement, it concluded that Estonia has achieved a lot despite the odds.

“Twenty years ago was said that the Estonians will never be independent or will not manage independently anyway. We did manage. We were not supposed to access European Union or NATO anyway. But we did,” the president said, “Let’s admit ourselves honestly with pride, that as a country we have managed.” [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]extended.

According to Statistics Estonia Estonian unemployment is 14.6 percent of the population, its highest level since the country became independent of the U.S.S.R. nearly two decades ago. Presently unemployment benefits last nine months, covering 50 percent of jobless person’s previous salary for the first five months, and 40 percent for remaining four months.

“Something has been done … but it is not enough,” Ilves said. “It is time to admit that the job market is not following our system, so our system must follow the job market.”

Although Estonia’s parliamentary election is still more than a year away, political rhetoric is already rife with campaign populism, which President Ilves criticized. He asserted that Estonia’s often quarrelsome political parties should focus more on finding at least some consensus on how to overcome the country’s economic problems.

“A year before the parliamentary elections, as a citizen and a voter, I would like to see that the parties would find a sensible agreement on the subjects that the parties will focus on in the starting campaign,” said Ilves. “In my opinion those issues are public administration, the future of education, tax and budget politics, that considers the nation’s long term needs, and demographic reality.”

There is one issue where the left and right find agreement — the adoption of the euro, something Ilves praised. Estonia is the only Baltic state to have remained within the Maastricht criteria’s strict guidelines for eurozone entry, and looks set to join next year.

Ilves said that if Estonia will adopt euro, it will be the most integrated country in Northern Europe, as only Estonia will be a part of the European Union, eurozone, Schengen Area and NATO.

A bumpy road to staying free

While the rest of the speech decried a lack of drive on education and administrative reform, high levels of corruption, emigration and bureaucratic mismanagement, it concluded that Estonia has achieved a lot despite the odds.

“Twenty years ago was said that the Estonians will never be independent or will not manage independently anyway. We did manage. We were not supposed to access European Union or NATO anyway. But we did,” the president said, “Let’s admit ourselves honestly with pride, that as a country we have managed.”[/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]extended.

According to Statistics Estonia Estonian unemployment is 14.6 percent of the population, its highest level since the country became independent of the U.S.S.R. nearly two decades ago. Presently unemployment benefits last nine months, covering 50 percent of jobless person’s previous salary for the first five months, and 40 percent for remaining four months.

“Something has been done … but it is not enough,” Ilves said. “It is time to admit that the job market is not following our system, so our system must follow the job market.”

Although Estonia’s parliamentary election is still more than a year away, political rhetoric is already rife with campaign populism, which President Ilves criticized. He asserted that Estonia’s often quarrelsome political parties should focus more on finding at least some consensus on how to overcome the country’s economic problems.

“A year before the parliamentary elections, as a citizen and a voter, I would like to see that the parties would find a sensible agreement on the subjects that the parties will focus on in the starting campaign,” said Ilves. “In my opinion those issues are public administration, the future of education, tax and budget politics, that considers the nation’s long term needs, and demographic reality.”

There is one issue where the left and right find agreement — the adoption of the euro, something Ilves praised. Estonia is the only Baltic state to have remained within the Maastricht criteria’s strict guidelines for eurozone entry, and looks set to join next year.

Ilves said that if Estonia will adopt euro, it will be the most integrated country in Northern Europe, as only Estonia will be a part of the European Union, eurozone, Schengen Area and NATO.

A bumpy road to staying free

While the rest of the speech decried a lack of drive on education and administrative reform, high levels of corruption, emigration and bureaucratic mismanagement, it concluded that Estonia has achieved a lot despite the odds.

“Twenty years ago was said that the Estonians will never be independent or will not manage independently anyway. We did manage. We were not supposed to access European Union or NATO anyway. But we did,” the president said, “Let’s admit ourselves honestly with pride, that as a country we have managed.”[/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]extended.

According to Statistics Estonia Estonian unemployment is 14.6 percent of the population, its highest level since the country became independent of the U.S.S.R. nearly two decades ago. Presently unemployment benefits last nine months, covering 50 percent of jobless person’s previous salary for the first five months, and 40 percent for remaining four months.

“Something has been done … but it is not enough,” Ilves said. “It is time to admit that the job market is not following our system, so our system must follow the job market.”

Although Estonia’s parliamentary election is still more than a year away, political rhetoric is already rife with campaign populism, which President Ilves criticized. He asserted that Estonia’s often quarrelsome political parties should focus more on finding at least some consensus on how to overcome the country’s economic problems.

“A year before the parliamentary elections, as a citizen and a voter, I would like to see that the parties would find a sensible agreement on the subjects that the parties will focus on in the starting campaign,” said Ilves. “In my opinion those issues are public administration, the future of education, tax and budget politics, that considers the nation’s long term needs, and demographic reality.”

There is one issue where the left and right find agreement — the adoption of the euro, something Ilves praised. Estonia is the only Baltic state to have remained within the Maastricht criteria’s strict guidelines for eurozone entry, and looks set to join next year.

Ilves said that if Estonia will adopt euro, it will be the most integrated country in Northern Europe, as only Estonia will be a part of the European Union, eurozone, Schengen Area and NATO.

A bumpy road to staying free

While the rest of the speech decried a lack of drive on education and administrative reform, high levels of corruption, emigration and bureaucratic mismanagement, it concluded that Estonia has achieved a lot despite the odds.

“Twenty years ago was said that the Estonians will never be independent or will not manage independently anyway. We did manage. We were not supposed to access European Union or NATO anyway. But we did,” the president said, “Let’s admit ourselves honestly with pride, that as a country we have managed.”[/private_subscription 1 year]

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