Eesti in brief - 2012-06-28

Estonian Market Research Institute’s (EMRI) consumer barometer indicates that consumer confidence decreased in June as compared to May somewhat, but is still above the historical average, reports Public Broadcasting. In June the confidence index was -8 (In January, -13, in February, -14, in March, -12, in April, -11, in May, -6 and long-term average -10). In May expectations deteriorated both in regard to the economic situation of the family, and the state. People were especially more skeptical about their own better future. Just 19 percent of the polled evaluated that the economic situation of their family would be better in a year’s time; 48 percent expect the current situation to continue and 24 percent thought the situation would deteriorate. At the beginning of last year the confidence index even reached black, and was at 0 in July last year, but then started falling. During the economic crisis in 2009 it was -28.

9,995 passengers traveled from the Estonian mainland to the largest islands Saaremaa and Hiiumaa on June 22, and 9,445 traveled back to the mainland on Sunday, to celebrate Midsummer, reports Postimees Online. People had to wait for a maximum of 3.5 hours to get on a ferry while going to the islands and a maximum of 35 minutes when coming back. Ferry operator Vainamere Liinid manager Urmas Treiel said that thanks to the new ships, the trip from mainland to islands has become much faster and comfortable – with the old fleet a maximum of 2,558 vehicles could be transported and sometimes passengers had to wait till the middle of the night to catch a ferry. The Midsummer weekend passed more peacefully for the Estonian police than last year, and the police’s initiative to send all drunk drivers to a detention facility were received in a positive way, reports Public Broadcasting. “While last year, we caught an average of 70 drunk drivers per day during the Midsummer period, this year we caught 48. We can point out as a positive phenomenon that no traffic accidents took place because of drunk drivers,” said Police and Border Guard Board deputy director general on law enforcement Tarmo Miilits.