20.06.26 OPINION ... Nine months before the next parliamentary elections, it appears that Estonian voters are more willing to accept reduced social security and growing inequality than higher taxes or a substantial overhaul of the current tax system, Tõnis Saarts says.

19.06.26 OPINION ... If we want Estonia to remain a country with an engineering, technology and knowledge‑based economy, we must help young people see STEM subjects not as a gate that closes but as a door that opens opportunities, Tiit Land writes.

19.06.26 OPINION ... This time, the background discussion focus on climate change. Scientists say that we are closer than expected to a so‑called point of no return, after which global warming becomes uncontrollable, notes Harri Tiido.

18.06.26 OPINION ... Estonia wants to attract more international online casinos. Tax revenue is welcome, but if the market grows much faster than oversight, the risk is that society and players will end up paying the bill, writes Kilvar Kessler.

18.06.26 OPINION ... The President of Estonia could launch a sculpture initiative that would result in an unprecedented exhibition. This would broaden people's understanding and taste in art and enrich public spaces with new attractions, writes Rein Sikk.

16.06.26 OPINION ... In the background series, this time the focus is on Nicholas Wade's views on politics and evolution. The rules of evolution are aimed at ensuring the survival of human groups and do not care about happiness or freedom, Tiido notes.

16.06.26 OPINION ... Western leaders are asking the wrong question about Russia. It is not how to negotiate with the Kremlin or deter a future attack, but how to ensure Moscow is defeated in its war against Ukraine so that aggression no longer appears to be a viable strategy, writes Marko Mihkelson, originally in Edasi.

15.06.26 OPINION ... Roadmaps and coalition agreements are not legally binding and if they become a back door for circumventing the policymaking process in a state governed by the rule of law, the result is undemocratic and amounts to poor governance, Külli Taro finds.

15.06.26 OPINION ... The perception of young people as passive is often linked less to an actual lack of participation than to the way they are portrayed in public debate, Evelina Allas writes.

14.06.26 OPINION ... History teaches us that crimes left unpunished give rise to new crimes, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said on the 85th anniversary of the June deportation of Estonians to Siberia by the USSR.

13.06.26 OPINION ... Estonia's opposition parties are likely headed for an easy win in the next elections, but the price of that easy victory may be that governing later becomes difficult, notes Martin Mölder.

12.06.26 OPINION ... The purchasing power of pensions has increased significantly over time and will continue to grow, but the main challenge will be whether pensions can keep up with the living standards of working-age people and how many risks we leave to be borne by a single pillar, write Uku Varblane and Magnus Piirits.

12.06.26 NEWS ... Studying controversial topics can help schoolchildren separate facts from propaganda, two education experts said.

12.06.26 OPINION ... If we want to reduce Russia's ability to continue its aggression against Ukraine, we must close all loopholes that allow its war industry to access the materials it needs, writes Margus Tsahkna.

12.06.26 OPINION ... The initiative by Europe's major powers — the so-called E3 of the United Kingdom, France and Germany — to open a political dialogue with Russia should make us very cautious, despite the fact that it is also supported by Finland and Ukraine, Raimond Kaljulaid writes.

12.06.26 OPINION ... In this background piece, history and the present are examined with the help of Odd Arne Westad. One alarming similarity to a hundred years ago is the accumulation of mutual accusations among great powers — particularly in relations between the United States and China, Harri Tiido notes.

12.06.26 OPINION ... The many opinions expressed about Alma Ostra-Oinas' equestrian monument provide an opportunity for a broader discussion about what we remember from our history and how we talk about it, writes Piret Karro-Arrak.

11.06.26 OPINION ... The fate of several Russian influencers shows that, in Russia, even loyalty to the country's imperialist ideology and sharing the Kremlin's contempt for the West and Ukraine does not protect bloggers from repression, writes Argo Ideon.

11.06.26 OPINION ... If the government authorizes an agency or the Defense Forces to make decisions affecting press freedom, who actually makes those decisions, asks Hans Väre.

10.06.26 OPINION ... The current regime in Moscow aims to restore an empire — more precisely, the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union — but Russia appears to be acting almost deliberately foolishly, damaging relations with countries where it seeks to maintain its influence, writes Peeter Kaldre.

10.06.26 OPINION ... People expect the Riigikogu to make decisions. If the Reform Party opposes freeing hens from cages, it would be fair to demonstrate that opposition in a parliamentary vote, writes Juhan Kivirähk.

10.06.26 OPINION ... This time, the background discussion series looks at Stephen Heintz's views on the future. Heintz selected 12 concepts rooted in past thinking and proposed alternatives to them — a new approach, writes Harri Tiido.

09.06.26 OPINION ... While economic policy does not directly treat mental health problems, it can create conditions in which people have jobs, homes, prospects for the future and a sense that they have a place in society, Merle Raun writes.

09.06.26 OPINION ... History, along with language and customs, is what makes a people a people. It is the reason one cannot simply become a member of another nation overnight: what is lacking is historical perspective, a collectively experienced history, writes Maarja Vaino.

08.06.26 OPINION ... A mentality that tolerates violence still prevails in Estonia and a very large share of society sides with the perpetrator, Jüri Kolk writes.

08.06.26 OPINION ... With the right goals and ambition, it is possible to make history in just a year by reducing costly and unnecessary bureaucracy, writes Hando Sutter.

08.06.26 OPINION ... As it vigorously prepares for war, the Estonian legislature is undermining the already fragile bonds of trust within peacetime society, Kaarel Tarand writes in a commentary originally published in Sirp.

06.06.26 OPINION ... Physical inactivity imposes enormous costs on the social system and healthcare — we're talking about diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Prevention in schools and kindergartens leads to a healthier, more capable, and happier population, states Gerd Kanter.

05.06.26 OPINION ... This time, the background discussions focus on Aleksandr Vladimirov's "Foundations of the General Theory of War". In military activity, Vladimirov considers the creation of migration flows — that is, the triggering of mass, managed yet at the same time uncontrollable migration — to be important, notes Harri Tiido.

04.06.26 OPINION ... As Narva's political power struggle descends into a surreal standoff between rival administrations, the city's dual-power crisis is exposing deeper problems in local democracy, voter engagement and political accountability, writes Erik Gamzejev.

03.06.26 OPINION ... We have reason to be proud of our flag, our country and our freedom, and for that reason Tallinn is doing the right thing by erecting a large flagpole on Pirita tee, writes Marja-Liisa Veiser.

02.06.26 OPINION ... This time, our background discussion focuses on a new world order. The European Union — and Europe more broadly — must find new ways of operating in this period of upheaval, and what matters is what shape the EU's strategic capacity will take, Tiido notes.

01.06.26 OPINION ... Alma Ostra‑Oinas and her daughters deserve not only equestrian monuments but also our broad, profound respect and remembrance, writes Eerik‑Niiles Kross.

01.06.26 OPINION ... Estonia's entire political system has stopped listening to the people, is preoccupied with itself, its ratings, grievances and small victories, none of which changes anything in people's lives, writes Tatjana Gassova.

01.06.26 OPINION ... Every parent who has not yet vaccinated their children should honestly ask themselves why they have not done so, writes Irja Lutsar.

01.06.26 OPINION ... Aimar Ventsel writes about his relative Natasha, who lives in Russia, and about what she thinks of Estonia. People like Natasha do not change, no matter what our "friends of good Russians" may imagine, Ventsel notes.

30.05.26 OPINION ... Over the next 10–20 years, equestrian monuments should be erected across Estonia in every city, town, and village in Estonia. Worthy people would receive worthy monuments, and artists could earn money for their creative union, that has been driven into poverty by scammers, reflects Kaupo Meiel.

29.05.26 OPINION ... This time, the background discussion focuses on China. If we set aside Beijing's claims that it does not seek to become a hegemon, the impression remains that China's goal is nonetheless to take a leading role through control of international norms and algorithms, writes Harri Tiido.

29.05.26 OPINION ... The claim that the EKRE–Isamaa–Center Party coalition coming to power once more in Estonia is merely a theoretical possibility — since Isamaa and the Center Party could together secure enough votes to govern — is naïve self-comfort, writes Valdo Randpere.

29.05.26 OPINION ... The plan to raise a ten‑meter Estonian flag on a tall mast along Pirita tee in Tallinn feels alien — an idea that echoes an eastern or southern aesthetic. The standard dimensions of the Estonian flag are 105×165 cm and that should generally be sufficient, writes Argo Ideon.

29.05.26 OPINION ... From the public statements of politicians in the Riigikogu, it is clear that no serious process has been initiated to ensure the success of the presidential election in parliament. Therefore, there is no reason to expect President Alar Karis to rush a decision on whether to consent to running for a second term, writes Imre Kaas.

28.05.26 OPINION ... The debate surrounding Flo Kasearu's monument to Alma Ostra-Oinas has revealed how unwilling Estonia remains to confront the complexity of women's roles in its cultural and political history, Merlin Kirikal writes.

28.05.26 OPINION ... Raising children is increasingly discussed as a major financial expense and psychological burden where a child is no longer seen as a natural continuation of life, but rather as a kind of project, writes Mirjam Mõttus.

27.05.26 OPINION ... AI is already in schools. It is in students' phones, homework assignments, teachers' desktops and learning materials. Whether that is good or bad depends on what it does, writes Margit Sutrop.

27.05.26 OPINION ... The forest law being planned by the government promises to deepen the overharvesting of Estonia's forests. Time and again, decision-makers justify this by saying, "Estonia has never had as much forest as it does now," writes Eliisa Pass.

27.05.26 OPINION ... This time, the background analysis focuses on the development of Europe's defense capabilities. A report published in May bearing the name of Sauli Niinistö proposes three paths for strengthening Europe's defense capacity under conditions where U.S. involvement decreases — or even disappears at some point, notes Harri Tiido.

25.05.26 OPINION ... Tax policy works best when people understand what is being taxed, why it is being taxed and where the money goes. Once that connection disappears, trust in the system quickly disappears as well, writes Tõnu Kolts.

25.05.26 OPINION ... We are proud of our European values, centered on the individual, their freedom, the rule of law, security, and prosperity — but we are incapable of defending people by force against brutal aggressors. Poland and the Nordic and Baltic countries could take the initiative and begin creating joint air force, air defense, and air transport units, writes Siim Kallas.

23.05.26 OPINION ... The liberal camp is actively constructing a conservative "axis of evil." An image is already being conjured up in advance of an Isamaa-led Estonia as a reincarnation of Viktor Orbán's Hungary on the shores of the Baltic Sea, Tõnis Saarts finds.

22.05.26 OPINION ... The concerns voiced by the signatories of the tech entrepreneurs' open letter about the future of forests are understandable, but there is no reason to fear the disappearance of Estonia's forests. A well-managed commercial forest and sensible nature conservation are not opposites, writes Mart Erik.