The chairman of the Estonian Center Party, Mihhail Kõlvart, said that the party wants to bring local governments out of the deadlock and then the entire Estonian state. He spoke about this at the party meeting held in Jõgeva.
Kõlvart said that both the Estonian state and the city of Tallinn are in a deadlock. He believes that the work of the state and local leaders is closely related. He noted that people who are not good at their jobs have been appointed to leading positions.
Prime Minister Kristen Michal talks about economic growth, but real life is different. For example, the number of shoplifting incidents has increased. Stores have to put security tags even on coffee beans and energy drinks. Estonia has high inflation, and food has become an expensive commodity.
The state of the car fleet is also poor. Due to the car tax, car sales have significantly decreased, and cars are deteriorating because people cannot afford to repair them. There is also not enough money for road repairs.
Kõlvart said that Estonia needs a new narrative. He asked what Estonia's new goal is. He believes that the narrative cannot be born in the offices of political parties or officials. The government has suggested that Estonia could be a green transition test lab or the European Central Prison, but these are not good narratives.
Kõlvart said that the autumn local elections are important. He believes that the Reform Party government has reduced the revenues of cities and municipalities and imposed new obligations on them. He said that the 2027 parliamentary elections are needed to improve the situation of local governments. Kõlvart promised that the Center Party will bring Estonian cities, municipalities, and villages out of the deadlock and, in two years, the entire country.