By Months: Riina Sikkut

Economic perspectives emphasize the strategic utilization of the state budget for solving social problems, supporting the channeling of additional funds to alleviate inequality within the education system. He stresses fiscal responsibility and the necessity of setting metrics within the activity-based budget that would help resolve politically prioritized concerns.

The speaker is a strong proponent of fiscal discipline, warning against the doubling of the debt burden and insisting on the necessity of the agreed-upon tax increases. He supports shifting the income tax threshold to benefit low-wage earners and implementing compensatory measures, such as raising the subsistence level. In labor policy, the speaker prioritizes the retraining of the unemployed (citing 700 skilled workers out of 65,000 unemployed) and promoting skilled migration over importing low-wage foreign labor, in order to ensure productivity growth.

It favors strict budgetary discipline, requiring permanent expenditures to be covered by permanent revenues. It opposes the government's tax policy, which raises consumption taxes (VAT) while keeping capital taxes low, thereby increasing inequality and the concentration of wealth. It supports raising child benefits rather than offering tax concessions. It criticizes the increased flexibility of employment contracts, fearing that this will keep workers in low-productivity sectors, contradicting IMF recommendations.

The speaker strongly advocates for social justice and income redistribution, supporting a progressive income tax and a shift toward taxing wealth and capital. They oppose an increase in the value-added tax (VAT), arguing that it harms low-income workers and exacerbates relative poverty. Furthermore, they defend the social protections for gig economy workers and support strengthening the powers of the Competition Authority.

The speaker is a staunch defender of workers' interests, opposing the shifting of business risks onto employees through amendments to the Employment Contracts Act. He/She views the promotion of gender balance in the governing bodies of listed companies as a tool for improving management quality and the economic environment. Furthermore, he/she stresses the need to address regional inequality and provide cultural workers with performance-based pay.

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