Estonia needs a long-term vision: where do we really want to sail?

Social scientists Erik Terk, Mati Heidmets and Marju Lauristin argue that Estonia's governance cannot be confined to daily politics alone. In a rapidly changing world, a broader societal consensus on the country's future direction is needed, one that would combine expert knowledge, practical experience and the voice of citizens.

Estonian social scientists Erik Terk, Mati Heidmets and Marju Lauristin have raised an important question: is Estonia's governance sufficiently prepared for the future? In their view, in a complex and constantly changing world, it is not enough to make only day-to-day political decisions; the state must have a clear and collectively agreed-upon direction.

According to these three prominent social scientists, Estonia needs a broader societal vision of what kind of future we want to create. The development of this vision should not be the sole preserve of politicians; it should include both expert knowledge, practitioners' experience and the voice of citizens.

An old maritime saying goes that those who do not know where to sail will never have a favourable wind. This image fits well with Estonia's current situation: without a clear destination, it is difficult to make consistent and strategically sound decisions. A rapidly changing geopolitical environment, technological transformations and social challenges demand long-term thinking, not merely quarterly or electoral-cycle-based planning.

Terk, Heidmets and Lauristin emphasise that achieving societal consensus is indeed a time-consuming process, but without it, any strategic planning will lack a solid foundation. This is precisely where their call originates to launch a broader dialogue on what Estonia should look like 10-20 years from now and what choices must be made today to achieve that.