Moving the capital to Tartu? Estonian officials examine the proposal's benefits and drawbacks

TALLINN - The notion of the Estonian capital moving to Tartu may seem
ridiculous to many Tallinners. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Mart Laar
said last week he wants discussion on the subject, although he
suggested it would only be a partial move.

The government has already approved plans for the Ministry of
Education to relocate to Tartu by July of 2001, and Laar told the
daily Postimees that he now wants to open a debate about relocating
the Ministry of Culture to the southern city, which is the country's
second largest.

Government spokesman Priit Poiklik stressed that Laar's aim was only
to launch talks on the idea, and that no further plans are now in the
works.

Still, several officials have expressed satisfaction with the idea,
citing an administration that is oftentimes considered too
Tallinn-centric. Proposing to move government institutions to other
parts of the country is seen as an important step in supporting
Estonia's regional development.

Former Tartu University rector and current chairman of the Tartu City
Council, Peeter Tulviste, said he considered the topic even being
brought up to be the most significant factor right now, no matter the
seriousness of the intent.

"I think what the prime minister said was not [for the reason] that
he thinks it is good to move to Tartu, but because there is too
little discussion about the regional development and the division of
labor in the regions outside of Tallinn," he explained.

Laar, Tulviste continued, with his proposal has "put the tools into
the hands of people" by giving them hope that they will see more
attention being paid to their part of the country, and thus more
incentive to work.

No doubt, large administrative centers migrating to Tartu will mean
jobs for its residents. In Tallinn, jobs are more plentiful, while
Tartu is the country's educational capital - not exactly a foreign
investment or tourist mecca.

Tartu's main asset, its students, have been struggling to find work
during their study, and they, in addition to university institution
and professorial help, will greatly benefit the government, according
to Karen Jaanson, deputy director of the development planning
department for the Tartu County Government.

Jaanson participated in a commission during the previous Cabinet,
which looked at how government should be concentrated. She said of
their findings, "Lots of institutions can operate in Tartu just as
well as in Tallinn." In order to spread the wealth, government should
not be centered in a single area. Laar's initiative, she said, is
part of "a long-term policy to ensure the regional development of
Estonia."

She pointed out, however, the potential logistical obstacles of
operating one government from scattered headquarters. Not everything
can be accomplished on paper or electronically.

"A lot is solved by people meeting together. We can't think that
everything can be solved by e-mail, which some say has helped."

Important decisions will still be made in Tallinn proper, she added.

"Who will pay the hotel costs? We have to calculate the full costs," she said.

Reet Weidebaum, press spokeswoman for the Ministry of Culture,
disagreed. The information technology of the future should not
require a person be in Tallinn to participate in government duties.
Yet, she suggested the daily work of the Culture Ministry would
continue to be carried out in Tallinn, because it is the more
economical choice.

Indeed, moving a capital, whether one ministry or all 14, does not
come cheaply. The costs of relocating the Ministry of Education are
estimated to run upwards of 40 million kroons (about $823,529) in its
one-year budget plan. Constructing a new building or purchasing an
existing one will cost 24 million to 28 million kroons alone,
according to government data.

Studies on the experience of moving capitals in Nordic and western
European countries have proved the process is extremely complex, and
great care must be taken in weighing all of the factors, commented
Ulari Alamets, managing director of the Estonian Regional Development
Agency.

"There must be a balance between regional impact and institutional
capacity," he said. "The key is personnel."

Alamets, who took part in a working group on relocating the capital
to Tartu during the previous government, noted that moving is not
necessarily a bad idea, but that the issues must be studied deeply
before implementation is considered.