TRADING LAME HORSES

  • 2009-01-28

www.produksies.com

There are far too many Maret Maripuus in Baltic politics.
Maripuu had absolutely no business in the post of minister for social affairs. A quick look at her resume reveals a relatively long and successful career as a politician, but no experience whatsoever in anything that might be related to social affairs.

She has been a leading member of the reform party, the chairman of the Tallinn City Council, and the vice-president of parliament 's but she has never so much as volunteered at a homeless shelter. When it comes to social affairs, she is far less qualified than an average person off the street would be.
Of course she messed things up in the ministry. She had no idea what the needy actually need, and as a result made things so unnecessarily complicated that the entire disability payment system crumbled. No big surprise there.

This is not a unique story in the Baltics. As long as politicians place their personal careers and party interests ahead of state interests when appointing people to top positions, those at the top will continue to mess things up.

We are in the European Union 's we have geared ourselves toward the West in almost every aspect of our lives 's so it is time to start acting like it. The most important positions in the Cabinet are the ones that, more than any other, should be handed out based on merit.
There is a reason things here in the Baltics have reached such a low point. That reason is poor leadership.
This political reshuffling has to end. The longer we have clearly unqualified people in top positions, the more deranged our political system will become. The more inane policies we will pass, and the more protests we will suffer in response.

Take Latvian Finance Minister Atis Slakteris, for example. He may have been qualified for his initial ministerial appointment, that of agriculture minister, but there was no reason for him to take over the defense ministry and the finance ministry 's especially at a time when the finance ministry is arguably the most important portfolio in the country.  As a result, he has become the butt of almost every political joke in the country and he doesn't even seem to realize it.

But Slakteris doesn't have the decency 's or the political common sense 's to stand down like Maripuu did. Not that anyone harbors any illusions that Maripuu resigned because she finally realized she is not qualified for the post. She botched things up, she lied about it, and now she wants to play the martyr. Sadly, the next person to step in and fill her shoes is almost certain to be as poor a fit as she was.

It is unusual for a Baltic politician to place their head in the pillory for something as minor as utterly failing to do their job. Usually they get a medal and are moved to a more important ministry.
But fear not, if history is any indication Maripuu will soon be given another, possibly even more important, position in the government. Foreign affairs perhaps? Why not the presidency?