The Statistical Office has revealed that Estonia has made the top five of EU countries with the greatest disparity between rich and poor, a dubious honour it shares with fellow union newcomers Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. However, it can take heart from the fact that topping the chart with a sizeable lead remains old school Portugal, where the wealthy earn over 8 times more (on average) than the downtrodden. Slovenia, on the other hand, is rubbing the noses of the other nine countries that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 in it, as well as those of 14 of the 15 old members, by having the second most equal distribution of wealth in the union, only kept off the top spot by Sweden.
It's good to know then that the Reform Party is sticking to its guns. Viime Eesti 15 aastaga viie Euroopa rikkaima riigi sekka! was its campaign slogan - "not a promise, but a vision" - during the recent parliamentary elections: Let's make Estonia one of the five richest countries in Europe within the next 15 years! Dispossesed and nouveau-riche unite!
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