By Plenary Sessions: Irja Lutsar

Regarding social issues, the only topics addressed are the trust and communication between the government and society, particularly when explaining crisis situations. Experts should help explain the situation to the public in a way that ensures they are believed.

The main social topic is the social maturity of young people and the expansion of their civil rights. The speaker strongly supports granting the right to vote to 16-year-olds, stressing that they are already making major life decisions (e.g., becoming a parent, getting married, working full-time). He/She emphasizes that the responsibility young people take on as parents is greater than the responsibility involved in voting.

The main social issues are the aging of the population and the falling birth rate. We support the positive inclusion of the elderly in society and working life, viewing them as essential members. Regarding the birth rate, emphasis is placed on the need to provide security for families and utilize positive nudging, contrasting this approach with the pressuring of young women.

In the social sphere, staff shortages are mentioned in the healthcare and education sectors (doctors, nurses, teachers, and kindergarten educators), and this is primarily addressed as an economic and structural problem.

The main social issue is linguistic integration and education, particularly through children coming from Russian-speaking homes. The goal is to improve the Estonian language proficiency of parents and grandparents to ensure better social functioning and access to services (such as hospitals). This highlights the crucial role of language proficiency in the well-being and sense of security of citizens.