The current crisis has reminded us how interconnected the world is. Developments which seem to take place somewhere far away can rapidly have the impact on the whole world. Today it’s the virus. Tomorrow climate change.
Estonian opposition MPs want to slash the timescale for responses to Riigikogu inquiries to government ministers, from a month, to four days, for the duration of the emergency situation at least.
Estonian opposition leader Kaja Kallas (Reform Party) supports the idea of hiring assistants for members of the Riigikogu but said currently not enough work is being done to justify the need. She said aids should be competent and hiring relatives or friends should be avoided.
While Western democracy is showing increasing signs of uncertainty, people look, with quiet admiration, to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The power in those countries is in hand, stable and effective at affecting people’s behavior and actions.
In a situation where 77% of Estonia’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from power generation and burning of fuels, while we can make changes elsewhere, the big picture will not change unless we solve the energy question.
Estonian Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Marko Mihkelson (Reform) stated the coalition government is moving towards redefining the country’s foreign policy approach – a response to an announcement by Interior Minister on the possibility of revoking visa-free entry to the country for Ukrainian citizens.
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Centre) has said that he does not have any red lines or issues on which it’s not possible to compromise. The fact that it’s possible to compromise on truly anything, including a lack of political responsibility, is confirmed by the actions of the current government on a weekly basis.
It is singing together that built us as a nation. It is singing together that helped us carry freedom in our hearts during the 50 years of Soviet occupation. Throughout centuries, Estonian song celebrations have played an important role in Estonian national identity.
Estonia, Finland, and the Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel together with Rail Baltic have a potentially important role in the new global connection between Europe and Asia. The Norwegian experts have calculated that the distance between Shanghai and Hamburg is 12 277 nautical miles, a voyage time of 39 days.
It is obvious that e-Estonia will never be ready. The rapid development of technology continues to create new opportunities for changing as a society. Yet, at the beginning of 2018, we are without a doubt the best e-state in the world.
