New Parempoolsed council chair pitches Estonia as 'world's first AI society'
At Saturday's party council meeting, Parempoolsed elected Andrus Kaarelson council chair and outlined priorities including economic growth, AI and less state control.
Kaarelson will lead the Parempoolsed party council for the next two years, with Merle Raun as deputy chair.
In his first address, Kaarelson emphasized the party's mission focusing on Estonian security, personal freedoms, a market-driven economy and boosting Estonians' wealth.
He called for an Estonia where entrepreneurship and innovation thrive, and where the state focuses on the core duties as outlined in the Constitution — foreign policy, national defense, internal security, rule of law, and education and culture — rather than maintaining "a welfare state" that is "a burden to taxpayers."
'World's first AI-based society'
Kaarelson also highlighted ambitions for Estonia in artificial intelligence.
"Parempoolsed must have the ambition and courage to propose a next-generation vision for Estonia as the world's first AI-based society," he said, describing a system where AI serves all Estonian residents, ensuring freedom, prosperity and a bureaucracy-free state.
He said Estonia needs its own path to rise to the forefront of the world's most advanced and prosperous nations.
Kaarelson serves as chair of Rae Municipal Council. In the 2025 local elections, he received 583 votes, the second-highest election result in the municipality.
He succeeds former party council chair Ilmar Raag, who stepped down citing the workload as too heavy.
Both Kaarelson and Raun also serve on the Parempoolsed party board.
Perling: Those willing to work hard see opportunity elsewhere
Addressing the party council Saturday, Parempoolsed chair Lavly Perling warned that the upcoming 2027 Riigikogu elections will bring political deception from parties used to false promises.
"These calls won't come from some call center somewhere — they'll be coming from the very same party leaders who made empty promises to you three years ago," she said, recalling promises of nothing but unlimited handouts.
"They think they can do it again," she added.
Perling criticized current policies for ignoring global change and said Parempoolsed alone is prepared to restore economic growth.
She stressed the need to abandon Europe's widespread social market economy model, which she said discourages personal effort and responsibility.
"Those still willing to work hard see opportunities elsewhere," the party chair warned. "Europe, meanwhile, stagnates, content with mediocrity."
According to Perling, Parempoolsed's plan involves reducing payroll and income taxes, a new wave of privatization and reduced regulations, as well as an end to covert surveillance, giving businesses and individuals more freedom again, including freedom of choice.
The next Riigikogu elections will be held in March 2027.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Aili Vahtla
