05.12.25 OPINION ... Replacing free legal counseling with a ministry chatbot is likely the worst idea of the year. Such a plan might only seem like a sensible initiative to someone who has never dealt with chatbots or the provision of legal aid, writes Kärt Pormeister in a Vikerraadio daily commentary.

05.12.25 OPINION ... Human interference in wildlife populations disrupts natural balance and simple solutions rarely resolve the complex tensions between biodiversity, lifestyles and economic interests, write University of Tartu mammalogists Maris Hindrikson, Kirke Raidmets and Egle Tammeleht.

04.12.25 OPINION ... The Center Party now needs to repay an old debt — one stemming from the fact that for 30 years, it has failed to prioritize Estonian language instruction in the municipal schools of the cities it governs, writes Erik Gamzejev in a commentary for Vikerraadio.

03.12.25 OPINION ... Universal conscription indeed has a positive effect on social cohesion, which makes public debate over citizens' language proficiency entirely appropriate. National defense, however, cannot serve as a substitute for addressing other urgent societal needs, writes Maj. Gen. Vahur Karus.

03.12.25 OPINION ... In light of the scandal surrounding Isamaa, it seems to me that the Prosecutor's Office should be disbanded. Taxpayers should not have to fund an institution whose actions the public cannot understand and which spreads fear and uncertainty in society, writes Margus Kurm.

02.12.25 OPINION ... The issue of Estonia's meager cultural budget has entered the public sphere where people from outside the sector are offering solutions that may be catchy and simple but are largely ineffective at solving the real problem, often skewing in favor of the loudest and most influential voices, writes Mari Peegel.

02.12.25 OPINION ... Expanding applied higher education at the expense of academic higher education would be a strategic mistake, says TalTech Rector Tiit Land. Applied higher education focuses on using existing technologies, but what's needed is academic higher education that generates new knowledge and technologies.

01.12.25 OPINION ... There's too little positivity in the media, people complain. Journalists should cover more beautiful things. But don't blame the media — blame ourselves, says Raul Rebane in Vikerraadio's daily commentary.

01.12.25 OPINION ... Aimar Ventsel recalls taking part in President Alar Karis' state visit to Kazakhstan and learning what kind of gift to bring along next time.

01.12.25 OPINION ... Antarctica's isolation and rich natural resources have made it a strategically important focal point amid growing great-power competition. Toomas Lukk explores how Estonia can contribute to the increasingly intense discussions surrounding the polar regions, both from scientific and political perspectives.

28.11.25 OPINION ... Both the government's and the Riigikogu's credibility are currently abysmally low, especially in the context of Estonian political culture. Media criticism and attacks from the opposition certainly contribute to this, but it's also clear that the ruling coalition parties have not done enough to explain their policy directions or ease the public's sense of uncertainty, Mari-Liis Jakobson argues in her Vikerraadio daily commentary.

28.11.25 OPINION ... The eight Nordic and Baltic countries have stressed the importance of international law and democratic values in their foreign policy, but now the liberal rules-based order is eroding, the NB8 are shifting towards a more realist approach, writes Kristi Raik, director of the Tallinn-based Center for Defense and Security.

27.11.25 OPINION ... With just one promotional video, the people of Võru have scored several catchy new taglines that are likely to echo through every trend-savvy social circle at least until Christmas — and who knows, sales of red flannel shirts at the local department store might even see a boost, writes Mirjam Mõttus in her Vikerraadio commentary.

26.11.25 OPINION ... Say what you will about the Soviet Communist Party leaders — they were no saints, but they weren't suicidal and they fully understood the catastrophic consequences of war. Their successor, Vladimir Putin, lacks such restraints, writes Peeter Kaldre.

25.11.25 OPINION ... We can't afford the luxury of rejecting private funding, whether from employers or individuals, when addressing the healthcare system's financial shortfall, writes Marja-Liisa Alop.

25.11.25 OPINION ... Beating, tormenting, stabbing, mocking, stalking, isolating loved ones, restricting them financially — in short, using any means to impose one's will — is, regrettably, widespread even in societies that see themselves as Western. Estonia is no exception, said Kersti Kaljulaid on Vikerraadio's daily commentary, calling for greater awareness and prevention of intimate partner violence.

25.11.25 OPINION ... Confusion around Estonia's cultural funding — winners and losers among theaters, pressure on expert panels and internal distrust — signals a broken system. A bigger issue is how the state uses statistics and the conclusions it draws. Estonian culture doesn't need cuts, it needs clarity, writes Riigikogu Finance Committee member Tanel Tein.

25.11.25 OPINION ... Today, half as many people die on Estonian roads per vehicle-kilometer or per number of vehicles on the road as they did 14 years ago, demonstrating that the gloomy picture being painted about poor traffic safety developments has been misleading if not outright false, writes Kaur Ilves.

24.11.25 OPINION ... Without structural changes to the funding model both at the state and university level, most problems facing Estonia's universities cannot be solved, writes academician and former TalTech rector Jaak Aaviksoo.

24.11.25 OPINION ... Estonia's misfortune is the scientific sector's heavy dependence on European Union funding, which is allocated only for short-term or, at best, medium-term projects, writes Kristina Kallas.

23.11.25 OPINION ... The western world's culture wars have fully reached Estonia, political commentator Tõnis Saarts noted.

22.11.25 OPINION ... A leaked U.S.-Russia 28-point "peace plan for Ukraine" effectively functions as a tool designed to coerce Ukraine into capitulation, writes International Centre for Defense and Security Research Fellow Igor Gretskiy.

20.11.25 OPINION ... The Istanbul Convention is not an ideological project but a commitment to protecting human rights. It does not alter Estonia's family law, mandate a gender-neutral society or in any way undermine the family as the foundation of society, writes Liisa Pakosta.

19.11.25 OPINION ... People expect their government to improve their standard of living — not make it worse. A realistic, fully transparent and honest energy and climate policy must support that goal, writes Kalev Kallemets.

19.11.25 OPINION ... The national defense report leans on formal authority but lacks substance. Instead of offering evidence-based, verifiable claims expected in serious civilian oversight, Meelis Kiili and his team have engaged in what amounts to civilian trolling, argues Meelis Oidsalu in a Vikerraadio daily commentary.

18.11.25 OPINION ... Democracy does not exist when political parties are controlled by major donors. Democracy does not exist when it is manipulated by law enforcement agencies. Democracy does not exist when a freely elected legislature is replaced in decision-making by an unelected state apparatus, writes Siim Kallas.

18.11.25 OPINION ... We cannot outsource our future. If we remain passive, others will absorb the talent and reap the rewards. But if we act, we will not only strengthen our university — we will accelerate the entire scientific, cultural and economic metabolism of Estonia, finds Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

17.11.25 OPINION ... Last Wednesday evening a verbal spat broke out on social media, snowballing into a public cultural and political clash — even a civil war — which left him speechless, writes ERR Supervisory Board chair Rein Veidemann.

15.11.25 OPINION ... ERR's programming must be diverse and help foster a sense of connection between different segments of society. This includes representing a variety of family types, writes Tarmu Tammerk.

13.11.25 OPINION ... Estonian foreign policy does not wait for history to be made — it takes a step forward itself. We are foreign policy trailblazers: initiators and defenders of international law, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna on the ministry's 107th anniversary.

12.11.25 OPINION ... It cannot be claimed that removing the tax hump, also known as bracket creep, serves the rich — quite the opposite in fact, the change is aimed at the average worker, not the wealthier classes, Reform Party MP Mario Kadastik writes.

10.11.25 OPINION ... Violence is not a private matter. It is a matter for society. It concerns everyone who wants to live in a world where light prevails over fear. That is why I believe the Istanbul Convention is necessary, writes Hendrik Johannes Terras.

10.11.25 OPINION ... Most likely, all politicians — and certainly all political parties — oppose violence against women. But to truly focus on shared and indisputable goals, this issue must not be tied to hidden ideological agendas, as the Istanbul Convention does, writes Varro Vooglaid.

10.11.25 OPINION ... Loneliness among men is not just a personal issue — it is a public health concern for Estonia that requires both prevention and intervention at the local and national levels, writes Olga Lupanova.

09.11.25 OPINION ... Sunday is Father's Day in Estonia. First Lady Sirje Karis noted fathers can strengthen society by teaching, understanding, and acting so their children feel safe and well.

07.11.25 OPINION ... The courts and prosecutors operate on the belief that the perpetrator, too, is a victim who, despite the violence they themselves commit, must be allowed to move on with their life. Too often, that "moving on" means the continued, systematic abuse of the victim, writes Tambet Laasik.

07.11.25 OPINION ... The most urgent change needed is to extend the time a domestic abuser is barred from returning home, writes Egert Belitšev. Currently, police can remove an aggressor for up to 12 hours — barely enough time for the victim to sleep before the abuser is back for breakfast.

06.11.25 OPINION ... The aim of the Istanbul Convention is to prevent violence against women. Even if Latvia does take a step back, Estonia will move forward, writes Kaire Tamm, head of the victims' assistance department at the Social Insurance Board (SKA).

06.11.25 OPINION ... We will never be able to sustain or fit into the state budget the kind of country we see reflected in our strategic documents, Auditor General Janar Holm said in his annual address to the Riigikogu.

06.11.25 OPINION ... Erik Gamzejev explores in his Vikerraadio daily commentary what would need to change for the majority of Russian-speaking voters to stop supporting forces that build political capital by constantly opposing and protesting the policies of the Estonian state.

05.11.25 OPINION ... The green transition must not mean endless subsidies and shifting the burden onto consumers. Estonia shouldn't blindly follow Brussels' directives but should use its own resources responsibly and wisely, writes Evelin Poolamets.

05.11.25 OPINION ... Prime Minister Kristen Michal has given up on governing and is now focused solely on political scheming, writes Urmas Reinsalu.

05.11.25 OPINION ... Even if Kristen Michal's goal was to land a blow on his main political rival, labeling a quarter of Estonia's population as untrustworthy is irresponsible coming from a prime minister, journalist Urmet Kook argues.

04.11.25 OPINION ... While now a part of Tallinn's power game, Isamaa would gladly tear a handful of pages from the calendar to bring the 2027 parliamentary elections closer, writes Valdo Randpere.

04.11.25 OPINION ... If the Ministry of Education has declared taking students to museums during school hours and asking parents to help cover the cost illegal, that essentially means such visits will mostly stop altogether, Maarja Vaino notes in her Vikerraadio daily commentary.

04.11.25 OPINION ... The Environmental Board is drafting a new black stork conservation plan that marks a notable shift from earlier species protection strategies. While expert input and effective measures remain central, the updated plan also sets a new goal: a more honest and transparent approach to nature conservation, writes Rainer Vakra.

03.11.25 OPINION ... It seems almost strange to think that while the rest of the world must face November's gloom alone, in Estonia, the annual Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) guides us through the muddy autumn darkness, Kaspar Viilup writes.

03.11.25 OPINION ... We have virtually no means to hold accountable those who incite hatred against minorities on a daily basis. The ground for youth radicalization has been fertile because there's been no fear of consequences, writes Christian Veske.

03.11.25 OPINION ... Martin Mölder notes in his Vikerraadio daily commentary that after a brief period of calm, the Riigikogu election process will effectively begin at the start of the new year and the local elections were just a qualifying round.

02.11.25 OPINION ... Estonia is not a low-wage country, and should compare itself with Germany and the Nordics, and not with previous economic incarnations of itself, President Alar Karis said.