Ott Lumi is a PhD in political science at Tallinn University. He said that Estonia's governance culture has become too technocratic. Therefore, the Põhimõtte Koda was created. It is an open platform that provides ideas for all political parties.
The goal of Põhimõtte Koda is to help create better politics. It is based on Estonian history, language, and culture. The idea to create a think tank came from several people. They believed that Estonian politics needs more diverse opinions.
Põhimõtte Koda is an open platform. This means that all political parties can take ideas from it. They do not plan to create a new party. Currently, they are supported by the Jaan Tõnisson Foundation, which is associated with Postimees.
The think tank is led by Ott Lumi, Leif Kalev, and Veiko Lukmann. All of them have different political backgrounds. They say that the think tank is not influenced by any political party. It is open to everyone.
The think tank's goal is to provide new ideas for Estonian politics. They do not write party programs. They want to influence real life. They bring out expert opinions.
Currently, the think tank is funded by the Jaan Tõnisson Foundation. In the future, they will seek more sponsors. They want to expand their activities.
The think tank does not resemble other organizations, such as SALK or Koostöökogu. Their experts come from various fields. Some are academic, others are practical.
They measure success by how much political parties use their ideas. They hope that their work will make Estonian politics better.
Ott Lumi says that the current government is not sufficiently legitimate. It does not meet people's expectations. The think tank wants to help create new politics.
In the near future, they plan to write reports on various topics. They want to help change Estonian politics. They know it is a big task, but they are ready to try.