By Years: Riina Solman

The speaker focuses heavily on the issues facing rural and peripheral areas, linking them directly to current government policy. He/She stresses that tax hikes (especially the car tax) and the disappearance of essential services (such as shops closing in Põlva or the relocation of state institutions) are degrading the quality of life in the countryside and accelerating internal migration towards Tallinn and Tartu. Furthermore, he/she connects the viability of rural regions to national security concerns.

A strong focus on regional policy and the viability of rural areas. Opposes measures that encourage urbanization (such as the car tax and the reduction of the school network), emphasizing that tax increases will make living in the countryside impossible. The speaker highlights the specific problems facing Ida-Virumaa (oil shale, Estonian-language schools, security) and Southeast Estonia (electricity supply security, closure of state institutions).