The leading article treats the topic, raised by the media, of employment benefits for Riigikogu members.
Siim Kallas | Presentation in the Riigikogu at the 1st Reading of the Draft State Budget Act 2000 |
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Kalle Jürgenson | State Budget 2000, What and Why? |
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Olev Raju | Commentaries on the State Budget 2000 |
Madis Võõras | Estonia on the Way to Full Membership of the European Space Agency |
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Ene Ergma | Estonia Has Become a Space State |
Urve Läänemets | A Good Teacher Should Be Ready to Learn Also from the Pupils |
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Külli Eichenbaum | Using the Local Peculiarities of Old Võromaa |
The heavy burden of power. The Riigikogu, government and constitution. Rules of order in the Riigikogu. The institution of the president. The public nature of Riigikogu sessions and voting. Pay and benefits for members of parliament. Social capital. Applied studies. Active state labor policy. The development of a civic society. Estonia´s eastern relations.
Summaries of articles are in English.
The leading article treats the topic, raised by the media, of employment benefits for Riigikogu members.
It takes quite a bit of time for a democratic society to crystallize. In order for society to develop a firm moral underpinning and such a respected body of citizens, many other factors besides time are required, such as people who understand and contribute to the social and cultural fabric in sufficient number as to form a kind of cooperation-revering critical mass that would be able to, and indeed desire to, keep society within certain boundaries and not permit the borders of tolerance to be exceeded. Considering Estonian history, academics should take the place of noblemen, for they truly revere honor and dignity above all and serve their own people in the first order.
The constitution has worked well since 1992. It has effectively fulfilled the role of foundation of a democratic society.
From the standpoint of the relationship between legislature and government, Estonia is overwhelmingly a parliamentary state, inhabiting the same family of nations as Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland and several Central European countries as well as all of Europe's monarchies.
In making a constitution-centered analysis of the last ten years, the writer highlights one of the most important of the many functions of the constitution - that of stabilizer. The constitution does just that, defining the relationship between the community and the state and setting forth the values that unite a society.
The writer presents an overview of the development of the Riigikogu rules of order over more than ten years. He is of the opinion that over time, the law on rules of order has become increasingly longer and more confusing. A printout of its 168 articles spans 53 pages. The structure of the law is completely hopeless. Presumably only the Riigikogu speakers' assistants can remember what part lies where. To use the law, each case has to be viewed in terms of different far-flung sections of the law.
Analyzing the Riigikogu's law on the rules of order from a technical and logistical aspect (structure, optimization of regulations) and standard practice as it has evolved based on the law - all compared to mechanisms used in other European legislatures - inevitably summons thoughts of how to change the law.
The whole world faces the need to reappraise its convictions in the field of economy, foreign policy, national defense, demographics and many other areas. The Prime Minister proposes entrusting the Riigikogu to supervise the State Audit Office, which should be transformed into a body controlling the actions of the government. A review board should be selected from MPs; it would appoint an official who would serve as chief inspector.
Nearly all parties have announced their intention to see the constitution in future contain a principle according to which the president would be popularly and directly elected. This consensus entails but one question: if all parties stand behind their promises with such solidarity, something must be rotten. Ask yourselves whether Estonia really needs a president at all.
The public nature of Riigikogu sessions and of voting records is one of the most important foundations of democracy, giving constituents the opportunity of getting information on the work and record of MPs. To better implement the principle of transparency, committee discussions and votes should also be made available, for example by posting them on the legislature's website.
Human society is a complicated system in which orientation would be impossible without universal standards of behavior.
From time to time, the topic of salary and employment benefits for members of parliament crops up, producing widespread discussion among the populace and providing occasion to review the laws. The law on compensation of MPs has been amended on four occasions: in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2001.
With the recent introduction of bills on pensions for MPs in mind, the Chancellery of the Riigikogu Economic and Social Information Department gathered background information on retirement benefits in other countries. This work gives a small overview of the results and offers some suggestions for reforming Estonia's system.
The purpose of the analysis was to examine the extent to which Estonians and non-Estonians' trust in political institutions on the local and national level is influenced by social capital and the perception that various political institutions are open to influence.
As a result of a discussion among the members of the Riigikogu Toimetised editorial board, a questionnaire with cover letter from MPs Anti Liiv (Estonian Centre Party) and Ivar Tallo (Mõõdukad) was sent to all cabinet ministers to get an overview of stated budget-funded surveys commissioned between 1999-2001 - the number, cost and respondents, the relationship of surveys to legislation and way in which they were commissioned.
MSI's study on studies and analyses conducted at the behest of state institutions turned up results that more or less were expected and objectively reflected the prevailing confusion and conditions where the rules of the game have not been defined. According to the MSI study, the best way to alleviate this situation is to define clear categories for studies. An amendment which would list the categories should avoid situations where money earmarked for surveys is not used as intended.
RiTo's second volume contained two articles tinged with skepticism where modernization of public administration was concerned, one from Ülle Madise (129-134) and the other by Tiina Randma and Taavi Annus (135-144). The same edition was graced by then-PM Mart Laar's article on the necessity of modernization (40-46).
A local initiative workgroup, set up in the Riigikogu in 2001 on the initiative of the Kodukant Small Town and Village Movement, ordered a survey of relations between villages, village leaders, local governments and the state to clarify the need - on a background of regional policy, administrative reform and processes tied with European integration - to regulate by law the activity of village leadership.
In summary, we can say that employment programs vary greatly from country to country. Studies show that a program that is effective in a certain group in one country will not necessarily work in another. Thus it is important to gauge the influence of a state-run labor program on a regular basis and adapt it according to needs.
In seeking solutions to high unemployment - one of Estonia's most serious economic problems - the tax system and job market have fallen under the lens more and more often. In addition to structural factors, tax burden is a potentially significant factor influencing the level of unemployment. The article examines Estonia's tax burden in an international context as well as the links between employment and taxation.
As Estonia was shaking off the Soviet yoke, the idea of joining the EU had an entirely different meaning than it does today, now that Estonia is one of the more certain candidates in the current round of accession.
Upon Estonia's accession to the EU and in consideration of the ratified Kyoto agreement, the Riigikogu and government need to support electricity production from sustainable sources alongside oil shale-based production.
Over the last few years, many influential international organizations have dealt with how to get citizens to take part in the political process: the UNDP, World Bank, OECD and the Open Society Institute.
As of November 1, 2002, there were 17,775 registered non-profit organizations in Estonia.
Estonia's attitude toward Russia after independence was characterized by an idealistic expectation - yet one firmly entrenched in the idea of continuity of statehood - that our great neighbor to the east would renew itself morally and that relations would rapidly normalize in the spirit of mutual reward and good-neighborliness.
Geographically and agriculturally well-endowed, Ukraine's fertile lands have been scarred by devastating wars and revolutions, which is why peace and peaceable solution of domestic and foreign problems is such an important value for the country.
From March 1994 to July 1995, four Estonian party summits took place at the behest of the Centre Party. Two were followed by continued meetings where unfinished business was discussed, and by the work of various work groups. The summit, planned as an extraordinary event, gave rise to a tradition of summits over a period of 18 months or so. Since July 1995, there have not been as many well-attended summits, though subsequent years have seen a number of roundtables held in various forms and levels.
The article discusses the National Library of Estonia's creation of a directory of Internet resources organized by subject and presents an overview of economic, political and law links.