ninme

Remember this?

Opinion Journal – Hail Estonia – 1 Jan, 2005

When Chrenkoff wrote:

How ironic, I replied to my friend, that the top four of the world’s freest economies consists of an enclave within the last communist empire, a semi-authoritarian Asian city-state, a bank masquerading as a state one third the size of my home city, and a former Soviet republic. There are other ironies on that list: New Zealand, even after a few years of “Red” Helen Clark’s rule is still doing slightly better than Australia, a legacy of the far-reaching reforms in the 1980s; and Chile is ahead of the United States, another achievement that no one will thank General Pinochet for.

Then there was this:

Gary Condit, Eat Your Heart Out – 4 January, 2005

From the World In Brief:

Suicide blaze

Tallinn: The wife of an Estonian lawmaker committed suicide after stepping outside her house, covering herself in petrol and setting herself on fire. Leili Taimla, 57, was the wife of Andres Taimla, an Estonian MP. Her husband attempted to put out the flames and also suffered burn injuries. (AP)

Ouch.

Well, now there’s this:

Publius Pundit – GOVERNMENT OF ESTONIA COLLAPSES

Who blogs on this:

Seattle PI – Estonia’s prime minister resigns, By JARI TANNER

TALLINN, Estonia — Estonia’s prime minister announced his resignation and dissolved his government Monday after lawmakers said they had no confidence in his justice minister because of a controversial anti-corruption plan.

Prime Minister Juhan Parts, 38, said the government coalition could no longer effectively lead the ex-Soviet Baltic country of 1.4 million people.

“The time of this government is over,” Parts said in remarks to the Riikogu, or parliament, adding that his resignation would take effect Thursday.

The unexpected move came after legislators approved a no-confidence motion against Justice Minister Ken-Marti Vaher. They had wanted Vaher to step down because of his unpopular proposal to set up a system of quotas for the number of corruption cases regional prosecutors would have to meet annually.

The prime minister has stood by Vaher, praising his work and saying he did nothing to deserve losing his post. The no-confidence motion was approved by 54 legislators, with 32 abstaining and 15 absent.

After Parts’ resignation takes effect, President Arnold Ruutel will have two weeks to nominate a prime minister, who then would have to present a Cabinet to parliament for approval. ..

He said Res Publica, the Reform Party and the Pro Patria Union could try to forge a new center-right coalition.

“Our values are some distance apart, but I wouldn’t say it’s impossible. We are Christians, we have to know how to forgive, and time is bound to take care of everything,” the outgoing premier said.

That’s nice, isn’t it?

Parts took office two years ago and helped shepherd Estonia into the European Union and NATO, which the country joined last year.

He had pledged to bring a new style of politics to the country – more open, honest and responsible. He also said he would have zero tolerance for corrupt officials, but many lawmakers said they believed Vaher’s proposed quota system harkened back to the Soviet era.

Before serving as prime minister, Parts was the country’s chief auditor, a job he landed when he was just 31.

Estonia, which regained independence amid the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, has a tradition of electing young leaders to top positions.

The country’s first prime minister after independence, Mart Laar, was just 32 when he was sworn in. He went on to lead administrations in 1992-1994 and 1999-2002.

Interesting.

In the meantime, Estonia’s telling Russia it won’t try to reclaim territories lost in WWII, President Ruutel, despite not attending 60th Anniversary celebrations of Soviet victory over Germany in Moscow, is prepared to extend a hand of friendship to Russia, has lost two soldiers to the war in Iraq, and is a little vexed at a summit in Paris of leaders from Russia, Spain, Germany, and France, because it’s worried they’ll be talkin’ ’bout it behind its back.

The Baltic states are little pets of mine. Is that conceited? I have no connection to them, but they’re three of a handful of countries I’m especially fond of despite never having been there, not tied to in any way, etc.

I usually know someone from these countries, though, so I’m not totally crazy.