Social Democratic Party (SDE) chair Lauri Läänemets said Reform's "Blue, black and white" vision, unveiled Saturday, is socially oriented on paper, but falls flat when its promises are measured against reality.

"What the Reform Party is presenting to the public today is one of the biggest deceptions Estonian politics has ever seen," he said.

Läänemets accused Reform leader Kristen Michal of trying to reposition the ruling party overnight, portraying it as more left-leaning than it is, even as the vision ignores rural struggles, rising inequality, underfunded health and education services and growing debts, all while giving the wealthiest an extra boost.

"Where is the promised support for rural areas?" he asked. "In most counties, half of residents earn less than €1,400 a month. They gained nothing from the tax changes, while the wealthiest were gifted an extra €1,848 a year."

He also highlighted cuts to children's extracurriculars, growing waiting lists in healthcare, the ongoing mental health crisis and severe underfunding in social care, all while Estonia's state finances are in worse shape than ever before.

Läänemets argued the current Reform Party is pushing Estonia toward conservatives and populists, and cannot stop their rise because it helped create this shift.

"You cannot sustain faith in a democracy rooted in freedom by constantly lying to people and abandoning them," the SDE chief said. "Even stronger families will give up when, despite years of effort, life just keeps getting harder."

'They've been in power, why can't they deliver?'

Parempoolsed board member Andrus Kaarelson criticized the Reform vision's promises of low taxes and balanced budgets, calling them yet another lie.

He said Estonia's state budget is running at the maximum EU-allowed deficit, tax burdens have risen and the country is falling behind neighbors economically.

Kaarelson described the "Blue, black and white" vision as a "nice right-wing plan," but doubted it would translate into anything more than words on paper. "Reform has been in power since 2021, yet why can't they deliver?"

He also highlighted concerns over rising public sector wages and future tax increases, saying only lower taxes and efficiency measures could spur growth.

Kaarelson added that Parempoolsed has been working for months on its own artificial intelligence (AI) program to reduce bureaucracy and ease the administrative burden on citizens and businesses.

Rewriting reality no way to regain trust

Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu called the Reform Party's plan a "political bankruptcy declaration," arguing it effectively admits the failure of the party's own policies.

"Even just enacting a corporate income tax dealt a blow to investor confidence, triggering a dividend panic," Reinsalu said, adding that boosting tech investments and exports first requires restoring confidence in the country's economic outlook.

But Reform cannot regain that trust simply by trying to rewrite reality, he continued, pointing to what he described as weakened fiscal rules, rising state debt and budget practices criticized by the chancellor of justice and the National Audit Office.

Reinsalu also accused the government of rolling back family benefits and tax breaks while expanding state data collection and moving toward a planned economy in Estonia's yet-to-be-enacted climate law.

He cited uncertainty in energy policy, further looming tax hikes and delays in defense procurements, arguing the government's policies undermine both economic stability and national security.

The ruling Reform Party unveiled a seven-page vision for Estonia on Saturday, highlighting freedom, security, economic growth and AI, and opening it for public discussion.

The party said the document is not a campaign platform for the next elections, but could form the basis for one with concrete promises.

Titled the "Blue, black and white plan for the growth of a prosperous and progressive middle class," the vision is divided into three sections, color-coded like the national flag: blue for individual freedom and dignity, black for security and defense, and white for the economy.

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