Predsjednik Mesić u Estoniji

Utorak, 06.11.2007., 06:00

ZAGREB/TALLIN - Predsjednik Stipe Mesić putuje u službeni dvodnevni posjet Estoniji gdje će ga primiti njegov kolega, estonski predsjednik Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Or in other words, Croatian president Stjepan Mesić has been in Estonia on an official visit to fellow president Toomas Hendrik Ilves, as reported in today's Postimees Online.

The Estonian president praised his counterpart on Croatia's stability, openness, democracy and rapid development as it heads towards membership of NATO and the European Union, declaring it a role model for the rest of the Balkans.

Mesić then met with Estonian prime minister Andrus Ansip, who reiterated the country's support for Croatia's bid to join the EU and NATO, describing the steps the former Yugoslav state has taken towards membership as greatly impressive.

Following up on comments from Ilves, Ansip then addressed what Croatia truly represents to the man in the street in Tallinn: a cheap[ish] option for summer holidays. "It's an attractive tourist destination for us Estonians," he said, encouraging closer economic ties between the two countries, and turning both of the stories reporting Mesić's visit into free ads for Estonian Air flights to Dubrovnik.

And why not? It's bloody beautiful. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Apparently there are quite a few more Croatians making the trip to Estonia too nowadays. Coming from a country that statistically enjoys the most sunshine in the Adriatic or Mediterranean or wherever, Estonia must be popular among those in search of danker, greyer climes.

Give the man a medal

The Financial Times has awarded Andrus "Don't Ask Me I'm Just The Prime Minister" Ansip the title of 2007 European of the Year, citing the business-friendly economic and taxation policies he has implemented which have transformed the country into an attractive investment environment. I wonder if they realise they're exactly the laurels he's been resting on for, like, the last four years.

I stand corrected

Posted by Oliver on June 27, 2007 at 11:04 AM

You were missing the following labels: self-criticism/irony/ridiculing, Estonian sarcasm etc.
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Irony indeed. How could I ever have thought that there would be any self-satisfied liberals in Estonia? ;-)

Of course, what makes Mart Raukas' article so effective is the ring of truth it has. For the benefit of those reading this who had to duck the flying irony, let me elaborate. In point form.

*Estonians have gone borrowing mad. The new sense of financial security that has blanketed the country has led to a boom in lending, primarily for housing, but this is also a country where you see nightly advertisements for instantaneous SMS loans should you overspend on your grocery shopping. Something's got to give. Inevitably, it will.

*Estonia's prime minister, Andrus Ansip (pictured), recently justified only marginally increasing excise on beer - whilst upping it significantly on things like petrol - by saying "You can't play with the price of beer. How long do you think a government that raises the price of beer will remain in power?" Nice to see we have forward-thinking leaders in this country with the future of their nation at heart.

*Estonia has some of the worst rates of gambling addiction in Europe. Have you ever seen the episode of Little Britain where Tom Baker reveals that there are 5 pubs per head of population in the UK? It's a bit like that here with casinos. One of Andrus Ansip's catchphrases when pressed on such matters is "Don't ask me, I'm just the Prime Minister".

*Granted, the gender equality issue is more debatable. In my view it's never really seemed to be much of a thing here: whoever is right for the job gets the job. And since virtually everyone in Estonia has exactly the same schooling and a degree in Business Management, what basis for discrimination can there possibly be?

*Estonia has certainly taken the whole 'stand up and be counted' thing to heart, packing troops off to foreign warzones and providing advisers to presidents in countries which haven't quite come as far in recent years. Smacks a big of sibling rivalry though, vying for the grown-ups' attention, with a poor cousin complex thrown in, and a big boys/playground mentality. Which is perhaps an uncharitable way of viewing it, but there you go.

Then there is the whole 'better than the neighbours' thing at the heart of the article... but more on that next time.