Eesti in brief - 2011-01-06

Former chairman of the Estonian Social Democratic Party, Juri Pihl, announced that he does not have any political or career ambitions in the public sector anymore, as he will start working for a private business, reports Eesti Paevaleht.  Pihl intends to start working in the aviation business together with the owners of Aripank, a niche bank that belongs to Russian businessmen. He said that he would start managing the aviation business in Estonia. At the end of last year, Panaviatic Holding was registered in the Business Registry and Pihl is its only board member. Pihl has since restoration of independence in Estonia worked in high public posts: as the first director general of the Security Police, as Chief State Prosecutor, Justice Ministry chancellor, interior minister and most recently, chairman of the Social Democratic Party.

The leading Estonian government party, the Reform Party announced its Riigikogu election campaign slogan as “You can be certain,” reports National Broadcasting. The party’s secretary general, Kristen Michal, said that they are calling on other parties to discuss economic, social, education and energy politics. “For us the most important thing in the next four years will also be to continue structural reforms in the economy, energy sphere, the social and education sphere, in order to guarantee education with Nordic state quality and stable economic growth,” said Michal. Parliamentary elections take place in Estonia on March 6 this year.

Since Jan. 1, 26 percent of cash payments have been made in euros in Estonia, as the kroon remains in circulation for the first two weeks of the new year, reports ERR. “Most people made purchases in cash using Estonian kroons, in order to use up the currency in shops rather than having to go to a bank to exchange them,” the European Commission reported in a press release. The European Commission noted that “No major problems have been encountered so far and banks and retailers were generally coping well with the first days of the changeover.” A large part of Estonian society regards the common currency as the culmination of 20 years of Western integration.