Spring session of the Riigikogu ends, election campaign season begins

The Riigikogu's spring session concluded this week, and Estonia officially enters the pre-election campaign period. While party offices gear up for active preparations for next year's elections, this inevitably means important decisions are postponed. Viktoria Ladõnskaja-Kubits examines what this means for Estonia.

This week saw the end of the Riigikogu's spring session and the country officially crossed the threshold into the campaign period. Viktoria Ladõnskaja-Kubits points out that while parliament falls quiet for the summer, this does not mean a break, quite the opposite. Party offices will activate an intense election machine.

Parliamentary silence is deceptive

Parliamentary silence is not a break. When Riigikogu sittings end, parties actually enter one of their busiest periods: selecting candidates, drafting programmes and meeting supporters. All of this happens out of sight, yet directly shapes how we see politicians in next year's election campaign.

The pre-election period is, however, a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means livelier political debate, competitors argue loudly and voters can compare the positions of different parties. On the other hand, it inevitably brings postponement of decisions: controversial and complex issues are avoided so as not to provoke negative reactions among voters before polling day.

Important decisions wait in line

This is one of the more painful paradoxes of election politics: precisely when public attention is greatest, the least is dared to be decided. Reforms requiring bold political will are shelved. Budget choices are postponed. Hard compromises are left for the incoming coalition to play out.

Ladõnskaja-Kubits points out that such behaviour is not exceptional, it is a fairly common phenomenon in democratic politics. The question, however, is whether Estonia can afford to have important decisions on hold for several months until the elections are over.

What to expect in the coming months?

The coming months will bring an intensification of rhetoric: parties must make themselves visible, stand out and persuade voters of the rightness of their vision. This means increasingly more public appearances, debates and media statements, but also the risk that actual governing work may take a back seat.

For voters, however, this is a good opportunity. The campaign period is when politicians are more accessible to voters than ever before, promises are more concrete and differences clearer. The question is only whether we can use this time wisely and demand answers even to those questions that politicians would prefer to avoid.

--