Except for outdoor advertising company representatives, I don't know anyone who knows anyone who doesn't criticize election posters. Even politicians themselves admit that hanging up big faces is necessary to get elected but devoid of substance. The substance, they say, is in the program.

At the same time, local election programs — at least in Viljandi County — have become almost as empty as the posters themselves.

The promises made and the positions expressed mostly describe the work that municipalities have to do anyway, regardless of who is in power. The most "radical" positions are about what candidates promise not to do — such as raising land tax or allowing wind turbines in the municipality — but since practically no political force dares to support unpopular decisions, there's no real differentiation there either.

The level of energy in these programs is roughly the same as that of the archetypal Estonian salesman sitting in his office, aggressively waiting for calls. The most frequently used verb in the programs of candidates running for Viljandi city government this election is "we support," followed by "we continue" and "we ensure."

At a Viljandi mayoral debate organized by Sakala, one of the lead candidates argued that "we ensure" is a strong verb. Yet most of the time, they promise to ensure only what already exists. Dear candidates, if your main approach is to support and continue — then who will actually do something?

In some ways, of course, one could say that even if the promises are so vague that their fulfillment cannot be verified in four years and the focus is mainly on fine-tuning what already exists, the programs still reveal certain tendencies.

If children are mentioned frequently, it suggests that the list in question does indeed pay more attention to them. This logic assumes, however, that programs have preferred areas and others that receive less attention. Unfortunately, even those who promise to set clear priorities tend to immediately list almost every task prescribed to municipalities under the Local Government Organization Act.

Naturally, local governments' ability to make radical changes is limited. The bulk of their budgets consists of earmarked state funds — such as teacher salary funds or welfare support — or of unavoidable expenses like road maintenance.

Except for Tallinn and a few larger, wealthier municipalities, local elections resemble participatory budget votes, where people can send to the council those politicians who promise to fix the specific stretch of road, bus stop or kindergarten that matters most to them.

Indeed, local elections are meant to decide local issues and it's already significant when promises name specific projects. This helps voters understand far better who and what they're voting for than slogans like "We'll improve roads and streets" or "We'll ensure good education for children."

Of course, both the state and local governments must function as coherent systems, but if everything is a top priority, then in truth nothing is. Has Estonia really reached a point where we can only support and continue? This week, a cornerstone was laid in Viljandi for a water park that has been awaited for 23 years — so politicians couldn't even promise that anymore. Yet alongside road repairs and roof replacements, we urgently need large and concrete goals, because without a clear direction, we simply stand still — or worse, slide backward.

Had Estonia, after regaining independence, not firmly resolved to strive toward joining the European Union and NATO, but instead wavered between East and West hoping to profit from both sides, we wouldn't be where we are today. In the best case, we would just be at the start of a Western path like present-day Moldova; in the worst, we'd still be deeply within Russia's sphere of influence, as that same Moldova was not long ago.

Municipalities, fortunately, don't have to choose between good and evil. But when a town or rural municipality stands like a donkey between two haystacks, nibbling a bit from one and then from the other, it ends up weak and indecisive. And that's exactly how many Estonian municipalities stand today — acting not according to their own goals, but according to whatever projects receive support from the state or the European Union. As one top Estonian executive recently summarized after reviewing local election reading material: "You could light a bonfire with a municipality's development plan — it has nothing to do with reality."

Of course, it can't be said that every program lacks anything concrete or forward-looking. Some do have such elements, but sadly, they are few. It's already a good sign if even one municipality has a somewhat ambitious idea; to hope for competing visions seems too much.

Almost none of the programs specify where the money for new spending will come from, since doing something at the expense of something else would be unpopulist. But with bottomless pockets, anyone can spend. True leadership, above all, is shown by what you're willing to give up to achieve your goal. If you're afraid to give something up, your dreams will often remain out of reach.

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