Greeting by the Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party

To the 24. conference of the New European Left Forum

07. June 2003

Honourable chairperson! Esteemed delegates of the conference, visitors, ladies and gentlemen!

Welcome to Estonia! Welcome to the Hanseatic town of Tallinn! For the first time during the twelve years since Estonia regained its independence Estonia is hosting a dignified forum of left-wing politics. For the first time, the European Left parties are present to take note of Estonia's integration into Europe.

The Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party acknowledges the role of the NELF parties in the rebirth of left-wing political ideas, in carrying them on into the new era that began with the crash of the Socialist system in Europe fifteen years ago. For Estonia, this meant the end of not only a political system but of a socio-economic formation, falling into the epicentre of the early Capitalist vortex in its classic form. The new era in Estonia has resulted in an economical throwback only overcome as late as 2001, unemployment rate of ten to nineteen per cent, existence below poverty threshold for half of our population, a thorough proprietary stratification, and the tarnishing of the ideals of independence we cherished fifteen years ago.

Honoured delegates! The current conference deals with important issues: the new world order under American military might, the painful enlargement of an European Union on its way to forming a new federal state, the status of women in the world today – all these matters are significant for Estonia and for the only Left party in modern Estonia, the Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party. Allow me to give a short presentation on our opinions in these matters.

The Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party is emphatically against developing a unipolar model as the basis of the world order for the 21st century. The aggressions by the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as against the sovereign European state of Serbia leave no doubt as to the nature of this new world order being plotted. It means the power of the bigger and stronger over the smaller and weaker. It means discarding the United Nations' mechanisms of balance and co-ordination. Such a new world order is not in the interests of small countries. Although the public opinion in Estonia still favours the enlargement of NATO it rejects the war the United States waged in Iraq. We see the notorious 'Vilnius 10' statement of support to the war in Iraq as marking another rending of Europe into West and East, this time by the United States of America.

Soon, Estonia will face the referendum of accession to the European Union. Even today, the Estonian public is clearly divided between supporters and opposers. The events at the Convention on the Future of Europe are characteristic of the evolutionary birth of a new federal state. The Estonian people have come from a union where a superpower ruled over small nations. They resent joining another union where great nations lord it over smaller ones. The uncertainty of the future of Europe is the reason why the Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party today stands with the forces who oppose the impending accession of Estonia. The Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party wishes to see the future European Union, too, as an international organisation rather than a state based on a confederation or a federation. Contrary to the state model of the United States of America, Europe has its traditions based on nationhood. We wish to see this model survive in Europe even in the day of globalisation.

As for women's rights, the members of the previous Parliament of Estonia held a heated discussion whether gender equality is more important than racial, national, political, linguistic or any other equality guaranteed by the Constitution, consequently finding that Estonia has its problems in all these areas. No laws were passed on gender equality or equality in a broader meaning.

The problems of Estonia today do not stem from lack of equal rights but from profound poverty. More pressing problems are holding back the development of Estonia and need to be solved: the minimum wage is about 100 Euro while the average wage is about 400 Euro per month and eighty per cent of the inhabitants of Estonia get paid less. If this situation could be improved it would alleviate many other difficulties.

Respected delegates! Notwithstanding globalisation, the 21st century world is built upon the competition of economic centres. These centres are the United States, China, Japan together with the whole region of Southeastern Asia, and Europe. The enlargement of the European Union eastwards is one possibility to stay on top of the global competition. Where does Europe begin and where does it end? Let us raise the issue today to broaden the scope of the unified European Economic Area, now encompassing the EFTA and the EU, to include Russia. Such a model would be a healthy alternative to the hegemonistic inclinations of the United States of America.

I'd finish with the co-operation between the left-wing powers in Europe and the future of the NELF. The Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party continues to support a format of cohesion between the action of the GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament, the groups of its member parties in national parliaments, and the centres of the parties converging in the NELF framework.

I wish you a successful continuation of the conference!

Tallinn, June 7th 2003.

Tiit Toomsalu,
Chairman of the Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party