By Plenary Sessions: Jaak Valge

The speaker is a strong proponent of productivity and the creation of higher added-value jobs, standing against expansive development that relies on cheap labor. He argues that current policies have led to a decline in productivity, competitiveness, and living standards.

The speaker supports adjusting economic policy, emphasizing the need to create fewer jobs, but ones that are smarter and offer higher added value. They oppose government plans that are justified solely by increasing the number of jobs, calling this the wrong direction.

It supports a shift in the economic paradigm, moving away from extensive development toward increased productivity and higher added-value jobs, in opposition to current state financing programs (EIS, KredEx, Töötukassa). It supports direct financial subsidies and indirect methods aimed at increasing the birth rate (student loan forgiveness, linking pension amounts to the number of children).

Economic views heavily emphasize the critical importance of labor productivity and international competitiveness. The speaker is concerned about the lack of economic growth and views the current situation as a serious failure requiring the rapid identification of political errors.

Insufficient data.

There is insufficient data.

Economic perspectives are tied to adapting the education system to the needs of the labor market, stressing the importance of increasing the proportion of vocational and applied higher education. The speaker is vehemently opposed to using international students as cheap labor, arguing that they came to Estonia to study, not to work, and that their short-term contribution to the labor market is inadequate.