By Plenary Sessions: Vadim Belobrovtsev

Our economic platform is focused on social justice, opposing consumption taxes (like the sugar tax) and supporting alternative revenue streams, such as banking and digital taxes, to fund the state budget without fleecing the poor. It supports lowering the VAT on foodstuffs.

The economic views strongly advocate for solidarity and progressive taxation, requiring the wealthier to contribute proportionally more in the spirit of solidarity. It supports reducing the budget deficit by abandoning the Reform Party’s plan to eliminate the tax bulge (maksuküür), which was intended to finance public sector wage hikes. It favors state intervention to ensure pay equity.

Economic perspectives emphasize fiscal prudence and cost savings during an economic downturn. The speaker objects to fulfilling expensive election promises that necessitate the introduction of new taxes (such as taxing pensions and implementing a car tax). Postponing reforms is favored in order to save half a billion euros and prevent further strain on the economy.

The speaker opposes balancing the budget when it comes at the expense of social benefits for the unemployed. Maintaining replacement income for the unemployed and strengthening the social safety net is prioritized over fiscal austerity. The positions lean towards the protection of labor and social welfare.

Economic views advocate for maintaining and improving the purchasing power of pensioners, while opposing the freezing of pension indexation. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of adhering to social budgetary commitments, such as the income tax exemption for the average pension, arguing that the budget must support social welfare.

Economic perspectives focus on investments in social infrastructure, questioning the state's readiness to step in and invest in local government kindergartens. This points to the expectation that significant infrastructure costs should be the shared responsibility of the state and local municipalities.

The speaker supports the idea of the bank tax but criticizes the government's approach, noting that the prime minister concluded a private agreement with the banks, thus avoiding legislative debate. This points to a preference for an official, parliament-approved regulation concerning funds directed to the state.

Economic priorities are aimed at restoring economic growth and curbing inflation, which is the highest in the Eurozone. Emphasis is placed on the need to improve external competitiveness, increase productivity, and resolve deep structural problems that have led to the loss of export market share. The prevailing economic situation is viewed as a crisis and a collapse.

The speaker stresses the necessity of securing funds for national priorities, such as a new opera house, provided it is genuinely important. He/She is firmly on the side of labor, demanding significantly higher salaries for teachers—wages that reflect their workload and make the profession prestigious—in direct contrast to the government's frugal approach.

Attention is focused on the timely and systematic payment of state-approved salary supplements and commissioned services (such as language training for new immigrants). Opposition is voiced against school network restructuring based purely on profitability, stressing that the social value of retaining residents in rural areas is primary.

Economic views are critical of the new taxes; the sugar tax is seen as a means of patching the budget deficit, rather than a measure for improving public health. Support is drawn from the objections raised by the Estonian Food Industry Association, which points to a favorable attitude toward business interests and skepticism regarding state regulation.