BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Estonia to commission a large-scale fire safety survey

In the aftermath of the tragedy where ten children lost their life last week, Estonia will order a large-scale fire safety study that will involve about 200 nursing homes and hospitals.

The study will be completed by 2013 and 85% of it will be paid by the Swiss state. The total cost of the study is almost a million euros.

Ten children died and another ten were hospitalized as a result of a fire that broke out at an orphanage of disabled children in the town of Haapsalu in West Estonia on Sunday afternoon, February 20th.

According to the rescue services, they received the call from an automatic fire alarm system at 2.30 pm and the first fire-fighting truck arrived already three minutes later. However, by that time one wing of the wooden building was already in flames.

At the time of the fire, there were 37 children and 9 adults in the building. Ten children and one adult have been hospitalized.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, but it is believed to have broken out in the section of bed-ridden children.

Estonia will be among 5 wealthiest European countries

Prime Minister and chairman of the Reform Party, Andrus Ansip confirmed his belief that it is indeed possible for Estonia to become one of the wealthiest nations in Europe.

According to the IMF data, Estonia’s economic growth over the past decade has been an average 4.82 percent a year, which is the highest in the European Union, Ansip reminded the listeners on ERR radio.

He said that there is no reason for anyone to fall into despair because of the global and free market cycles and that every financial boom is followed by decline.

Countering often-heard criticism, Ansip said that growth of GDP is not merely a goal in itself for him and his party, but a prerequisite in order for old-age pensions to increase and social services to become of better quality and more diverse.

He said that scaring people with threats of pension systems vanishing soon is nonsense, adding that today's economic growth gives us confidence that pensions will not leave people at risk of poverty even in the year 2050. "The pension system will not go anywhere. Pensions can only increase," Ansip said.

Talking about tax policy, Ansip said that lowering of the unemployment insurance tax rate would be the most sensible move as soon as budget allows it.

Independence Day speech of President of the Republic of Estonia

My beloved Estonian people, dear friends.

As a small nation, we have a keen sense of how fragile and vulnerable we are. Every loss brings a pain that is both personal and shared.

Tragedies put us to the test - as individuals, as a society, as a country. Especially when the victims are children. Especially when the tragedy is another in a long line of misfortunes that have befallen us.

I ask everyone to rise to their feet, both here and in homes across the country, to remember those who lost their lives on Sunday in Haapsalu.

Thank you.

Feeling genuine pain, and acknowledging the importance of each and every person here in Estonia, we have a clear sense of our special obligation as citizens of a small nation and state. And that is the obligation to care for our fellow citizens and treat them with greater tolerance, attention and respect.

That, not politics, is what I want to talk about today.

Today, on the birthday of the Estonian state, let us talk about you and me, and our neighbours, relatives and co-workers. Let us talk about all people in Estonia, people we may not know personally but whose common threads run side by side, uninterrupted, like the striped patterns of Estonian folk costume.

They run together, as one fabric, on the loom of fate.

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Ladies and gentlemen,

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Estonian independence - almost an entire generation.

We all belong to the first generation of re-independent Estonia, no matter what our age or origin. As we gaze upon what we have wrought, there is in our eyes the pride of a builder, the critical mindset of an owner, and the loving short-sightedness of a parent.  Looking back from a distance of a few generations, our great-grandchildren will have to admit that yes, Estonia fulfilled the goal of her people in those first twenty years: to do everything in her power to prevent the tragedy of the 20th century from happening again.

Uruguay set up European friendlies

FIFA World Cup™ semi-finalists Uruguay will play Estonia and the Republic of Ireland on 25th and 29th March respectively, the Uruguayan football federation (AUF) announced on Tuesday.

Uruguay - who had their best world finals since 1970 last year eventually finishing fourth after losing 3-2 to Germany in the third place final - will play Estonia in Tallinn and then the Irish in Dublin four days later.

Uruguay will also have a rematch with the Germans in Sinsheim, Germany, on 29 May as they prepare for the Copa America, which runs from 1 to 24 July in Argentina.

The Uruguayans have won the Copa 14 times, their last title coming in 1995.

High-Ranking officials fired from Tallinn municipal police

Deputy director Kalmer Filatov, head of department Margit Teino and police internal investigator Tiina Raja were fired from the Tallinn Municipal Police due to alleged abuse of position.  

In their declaration of interests, the officials failed to disclose that they owned shares in the limited liability company Õiguskoda, municipal police spokeperson Monika Lestberg told uudised.err.ee.

Among other services, the company offers preparation of misdemeanor appeals and drafting court complaints, which goes against the code of ethics for officials, Lestberg added.

Police director Monica Rand said it was "regrettable" that the former head of the agency, Kaimo Järvik had not paid sufficient attention to media reports concerning the issue.

Installation "Object 2011" to be presented on Freedom Square in Tallinn

An art installation named "Object no. 2011" will be opened in Estonian capital – on Freedom Square on February 27 in a framework of a program dedicated to Tallinn's title of the European Cultural Capital, a cultural fund Tallinn 2011 reports.

A paintbrush does not paint, a camera does not record, a stage does not direct, a violin or an electric guitar does not play by itself. People, personalities are essential for creating the art. The aim of the installation is to show the correlation of a piece of art and people behind it, informs LETA.

The installation unites the entire Estonian cultural world into one piece of art, as utopian as that thought may be.

From February 27 to March 20 the "Object no. 2011" will shine in the center of Freedom Square. It is a kind of a room that features a real summer as a contrast to the winter that is outside. Within a three-week period, up to 400 creative Estonian people will take turns to spend one hour in this summer. Starting from the opening moment, the installation can be observed on Freedom Square and also on the Internet and Elion DigiTV special channel as a live broadcast.

"Object no. 2011" is organized and run by NPO Siseilm and Allianss Architects. Members of those organizations include Mart Koldits, Kaarel Oja, Iir Hermeliin, Indrek Tiigi, Kadri Tamre, Kadri Tikerpuu and Sirli Bergstrom.

Estonia celebrates 93rd Independence Day

The focus of the official celebrations will be in Tallinn this year.

The official Independence Day program in Tallinn begins at 7:33 with the raising of the national flag on the Tall Hermann tower on Toompea (Dome Hill). It will continue with the placing of wreaths at the Freedom Cross at 9:00.

At 9:45, a service to mark the occasion will be held in the Dome Church.

From 10:15, the Defence Forces will gather in Freedom Square for a parade that starts at 11:00. ETV will provide a live feed at http://live.err.ee.

At 13:00 the annual National Science Awards ceremony will take place in the Hall of the Academy of Sciences on Toompea hill.

At 18:00 President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Mrs. Evelin Ilves will host the annual Independence Day reception at the Estonia Theatre, broadcast by ETV online at http://live.err.ee.

The ballroom dancing traditionally part of the reception will not take place this year in deference to the Haapsalu tragedy where 10 people lost their lives in a foster care home fire on February 20.

Besides celebrations in central Tallinn, countless events will be taking place all over the country. In Jüriöö Park, the Defense Forces will pay tribute at 14:00 to brothers-in-arms fallen in the War of Independence. Concerts, receptions, religious services and public gatherings will be held in all 15 counties.

Timber haulers to protest weight limits

Long columns of trucks are likely to line Estonia's roads on March 2 as drivers protest weight limits put on timber haulers.

The demonstration, which is being organized by the Union of Estonian Automobile Enterprises, is slated for four locations throughout the country - Tartu, Pärnu, Imavere and Kunda. In each location the union hopes to line the side of the road with a 40-strong column of trucks.

The drivers are protesting the 44-ton weight limit currently applied to six-axle vehicles, which they say causes unnecessary financial burden, as well as the increased traffic and greater environmental impact of more trucks on the road.

Union director Villem Tori told ERR News that haulers have spent ten years trying, without success, to get the limit raised. He said the protest is aimed at calling attention to the issue.

Research carried out in 2010 by the University of Life Sciences, Tartu University and the Tallinn University of Applied Sciences concluded that the increased weight would not cause structural damage to roads, according to a statement on the union's website.

Tori said the protest action was originally planned for February 28, but that it was postponed because the union did not receive the necessary police permits.

Education is key to Estonia’s future

At a roundtable of parties’ education experts hosted by Postimees showed that while most agree that there education is key for Estonia’s future, there are differences on how to actually achieve it.

Tõnis Lukas, current minister of education (IRL), says that Estonia cannot wait until the general administration reform at a time when the number of students is falling so dramatically and is affecting quality. “We need to react and do it now. The education system must lead the process, not to wait for it to catch up.”

Peeter Kreitzberg (Social Democrat) said that the whole education system needs a feasibility study. “We have half-empty schools which do nothing but heat air. We need a cost analysis since we have not been only spending, but also wasted money in our education system.” Kreitzberg believes that this could help to increase also teachers’ wages.

Mailis Reps (Centre Party) and former minister of education: “The most acute issues in the society today are social problems, poverty and hunger, and it applies also to schools. We are in a situation where teachers have become social workers in order to solee education problems.”

What February 24th means to Estonia

February 24, 1918 was the day when the Estonian Declaration of Independence, issued by the Maapäev (National Council), was printed and proclaimed in Tallinn.

"In the course of centuries, never have the Estonian people lost their desire for independence. From generation to generation, they have kept alive the hidden hope that in spite of enslavement and oppression by hostile invaders the time will come to Estonia 'when all splinters, at both ends, will burst forth into flames' and when 'Kalev will come home to bring his children happiness."

These opening lines of the "Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia" still remind Estonians that independence was not handed down to them on a plate but was snatched from the teeth of then-powerful empires after centuries of staunch but also exhausting grassroots resistance.

To many, they also serve as a reminder that independence is not to be taken for granted. Soon after proclaiming the republic, the country was plunged into a 14-month war against Bolshevist Russia whose government would only recognize Estonia as a sovereign country in 1920, signing the Tartu Peace Treaty after all its efforts on the battleground had failed.

In a globalizing world where the dismantling of traditional boundaries, both geographical and mental, is increasingly countered everywhere with a circling of wagons to protect religious, ethnic and ideological camps, it might be refreshing to remember that even back then, the Manifesto addressed all of the peoples living on Estonian soil - Russians, Germans, Swedes, Jews and Estonians alike - pledging cultural autonomy to the national minorities and a "hopeful future" for all of the new republic's men and women.

National Day of Estonia

MANILA – Estonia celebrates its National Day every 24th of February each year. During this holiday, Estonians raise flags in homes and public and private offices. The celebration includes concerts, contests (Guinness World Record attempts), and games and festivities usually held in Estonia’s major cities, particularly in Tallinn which is the country’s capital and largest city.

A state in the Baltic Region, Estonia is bordered to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the east by the Russian Federation, and to the south by Latvia. It is democratic parliamentary republic and is divided into 15 countries. With a population of around 1.34 million, Estonia is one of the least-populous members of the European Union. It is a member of various international organizations including the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The country has close ties with the Nordic countries, especially Finland and Sweden. Described as the Baltic Tiger due to its consistently high economic growth, Estonia is regarded by the World Bank as a high income country. On January 1, 2011, Estonia became the 17th Eurozone member state and adopted the euro currency.

Estonian Parliamentary elections are closing in

TARTU - Estonia’s Parliamentary elections are approaching. They are going to be held on March 6, with of e-voting possible between Feb. 24 and March 2. The previous election was an intense contest between Estonia’s Reform Party and the Center Party. In the end, the Center Party faced a close defeat. These two parties still have the most supporters, and they are the main competitors for an overall win. Still, a lot has changed, compared to the previous elections.

The Estonian daily Postimees’ survey, conducted by independent research company Turu-uuringute, shows the Reform Party leading in seven districts out of twelve. In some regions their lead is up to 15 percent over the nearest competitors. The Center Party leads in five regions, and are the most popular in Tallinn and Ida-Virumaa.
The vice-chairman of the Center Party, Kadri Simson, does not believe in these polls. “We have won the last two elections, the European Parliament elections and local government elections. It is sure that Estonian politics needs a change and, because of that I think that our supporters will come and vote this year too,” she states. Kirsten Michal, the General Secretary of the Reform Party, is also skeptical about the surveys. “Nothing is sure in this year’s elections. In 2007, 1.7 percent of voters decided the outcome of the election.”

Average monthly gross wages up 3.9% in a year in Estonia

According to Statistics Estonia, in the 4th quarter of 2010, the average monthly gross wages in Estonia were 814 euros (12,735 kroons) and the hourly gross wages were 4.83 euros (75.63 kroons).

Compared to the 4th quarter of 2009, the average monthly gross wages were by 3.9% higher and the average hourly gross wages and salaries were by 1.9% higher.

The average monthly gross wages and salaries without irregular bonuses and premiums increased 3%. Compared to the 4th quarter of 2009, the irregular bonuses and premiums per employee grew 30.3% and influenced the increase of the average monthly gross wages by 0.9 percentage points.

The real wages which took into account the influence of the change in the consumer price index and which shows the purchasing power of wages, decreased for the ninth quarter in succession. In the 4th quarter of 2010 the real wages decreased by 1.2%.

According to the survey of wages statistics, as at the end of December, the number of employees was 1.2% smaller than at the same time in 2009.

Compared to the 4th quarter of 2009, the average monthly gross wages as well as the average hourly gross wages increased the most in mining and quarrying (11.8% and 13.6%, respectively) and decreased the most in real estate activities (14.7% and 19.2%, respectively).

Estonian B735 at Tallinn on Feb 20th 2011, rejected takeoff

An Estonian Air Boeing 737-500, registration ES-ABL performing flight OV-125 from Tallinn (Estonia) to Stockholm (Sweden), rejected takeoff from Tallinn's runway 08 at low speed when the right hand engine (CFM56) malfunctioned. The airplane slowed safely and returned to the apron.

A replacement Boeing 737-300 registration ES-ABJ reached Stockholm with a delay of 2.5 hours.

A passenger reported the engine released a large flame out of the tail pipe.

The airline reported that there was no actual engine fire, the engine may however have burned excess fuel causing the reported flame.

Estonian National Day

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Estonia as you celebrate the 93rd anniversary of your independence this February 24.

Estonia has made remarkable progress since the end of the Cold War. Only twenty years after breaking free from Soviet rule, Estonia has been a thriving example for the region. You have replaced foreign tyranny with democracy, adopted the Euro earlier this year and are a shining example of the power of free and fair elections. Next month you will vote on a new parliament, using the world’s first Internet based voting system.

The United States and Estonia have ties of friendship based on common values and interests. We share your commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights. As allies, we stand together in defense of these ideals through economic, humanitarian, and democratic development assistance around the world. Estonia’s progress serves as a model for those yearning for something better for themselves and the generations to come.

As you celebrate your independence, know that the United States stands with you, and we look forward to further deepening our friendship and cooperation in the years to come.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Cyber-titan Estonia drafts e-squad to secure election

TALLINN — Estonia announced Tuesday it was drafting in its newborn cyber-squad to ward off potential attacks on the Baltic state's pioneering e-voting system in its looming general election.

"The cyber-unit of the Estonian Defence League will keep an eye on Internet traffic and will react in the event of any attack," Heiki Sibul, chairman of the national electoral commission, told reporters.

After five decades of Soviet rule ended in 1991, Estonia opted to go hi-tech as fast as possible. The European Union nation of 1.3 million became one of the world's most cyber-focused nations, earning the nickname "E-stonia".

Since falling victim to a politically-charged "cyber-war" in 2007 widely blamed on Russian hackers, it has become a leading light in fending off online attacks, and hosts NATO's IT-defence facility.

It created a volunteer unit of cyber-experts late last year within the Estonian Defence League, a part-time force equivalent to the National Guard in the United States.

Estonians who don't want to cast ballots in person on March 6 have the right to vote online between February 24 and March 2.

Unemployment Insurance fund opens its self-service environment for testing

On 31 January 2011, the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund opened its self-service employment portal for public testing.

Currently, anyone interested can find and view public-sector job vacancies. Eventually the portal, which cost €130 380 to develop, will become a virtual agency which can be used for a range of services.

Users can log in by using their ID-card or mobile-ID, and then create their own CV, apply for jobs, manage their own work requests, review the statements made to the Unemployment Insurance Fund about the outcomes and decisions, and inform them of any changes to their data or situation.

By using their ID-card or mobile-ID to log in, employers can manage their own company's job offers and search for suitable candidates among the users of the self-service environment. In addition, it is possible to apply for severance packages.

Soon job seekers will have the opportunity to book an interview with an Unemployment Insurance Fund adviser, as well as to submit applications for unemployment benefits, unemployment insurance and business start-up grants. There is also the capability for employers to manage their contracts, and forward the information relating to performance (placement, wage subsidy, etc.).

Estonia should not rule out progressive tax

Several domestic and foreign economic experts believe that Estonia should not rule out the possibility to introduce progressive taxation, but it requires certain conditions and should not be rushed, writes Postimees.

“Overall, a flat rate of individual income tax has no advantages in itself. It is also restricting the way the government can re-distribute tax revenues,” says Stuart Adam, an economist with the London-based Institute of Fiscal Studies, one of the leading tax researchers in Europe.

Adam said that the main attraction of flat rate was that it is a simple tax system and its main disadvantage it that it reduces the motivation to work and affects economic growth.

Viktor Trasberg, lecturer of economy in the Tartu University, disagrees and says that economic growth and social equality are not contrary to each other.

Trasberg believes that progressive income tax helps the state to collect more revenue, while lowering real tax burden since low-income earners would pay less in tax.

He adds that progressive income tax could stabilise the economy since when people’s income falls, more people would start paying less tax and vice versa.

Bert Brys, tax economist with OECD, says that before Estonia considers progressive taxation, it should revise its tax exemptions. “Usually the case is that the rich will get more benefit from various tax exemptions related to housing and pension saving costs,” he explains.

Brys says that much depends on the values of the society, in other words how much people are ready to sacrifice economic growth for equality.

Toomas Hõbemägi

"Black Nights" film festival named most outstanding tourist attraction

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, an undisputed highlight of Estonia's cultural calendar, has won the award for the most outstanding tourist attraction of 2010.

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves presented the honor to the festival's organizer Tiina Lõkk at the Tourest 2011 travel fair on February 18, according to a press release from the Association of Travel Agents, who gave the award.

Kersti Kont, executive director of the association, said that the film festival has grown into one of the most sophisticated and remarkable cultural events in Estonia, mainly thanks to Lokk, who in cooperation with her team also brought the 23rd European Film Awards to Tallinn in December 2010.

Adventure center project Kiviõli in Estonia receives 3 mln euros

A project of building Kiviõli Adventure Center was granted three million euros from the European Regional Development Fund.

According to the developers, Kiviõli project will be the most unique tourism park in the Gulf of Finland region. By the summer 2012, Kiviõli ash hill, which was formed from shale mining residue, as planned, will be reshaped into an internationally-known adventure center offering the year-round services for tourists as well as a competition venue for major sporting events, writes LETA.

Catering to an estimated 80,000 visitors per year, the center will include health and fitness facilities, a ski and snowboard resort, an adventure park, the alpine slide and motocross roads.

Construction procurement for the project has already started, and hopefully the work will begin right after this winter's snow has melted, said Janek Maar, a board member of the center.

The entire cost of the project is 5.75 million euros. In addition to the European Regional Development Fund, its other sponsors are the Ministry of Culture and the town of Kiviõli.

Juhan Tere