Estonian Greens
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Estonian Greens Erakond Eestimaa Rohelised | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Züleyxa Izmailova |
| Founded | 25 November 2006 |
| Headquarters | Tulika tn 19, Tallinn |
| Membership (2018) |  966[1] |
| Ideology | Green politics[2] Green liberalism[3] Social liberalism[3] Direct democracy[3] |
| Political position | Centre-left[3] |
| European affiliation | European Green Party |
| International affiliation | Global Greens |
| Colours | Green |
| Riigikogu | 0 / 101
|
| European Parliament | 0 / 6
|
| Website | |
| erakond.ee | |
| Part of a series on |
| Green politics |
|---|
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Estonian Greens (Template:Lang-et) is an Estonian green political party.
History
1990s
The green environmentalist campaign, the Estonian Green Movement (Template:Lang-et), was established by Juhan Aare in May 1988. As chairman of the Estonian Green Movement, the forestry scientist Professor Toomas Frey was the Estonian minister of the environment from 1990 to 1991.
The Estonian Green Party was established on 19 August 1989, and a rival Green Party under the leadership of Vello Pohla in May 1990. After 2 years of fragmentation the party Estonian Greens (Eesti Rohelised) was established on December 1991. Only one representative, Rein Järlik was elected to Parliament in September 1992.[4] Subsequently, the Estonian Greens were erased as a registered party on 21 May 1998 due to its lack of the required 1000 members, a statutory threshold for activity as a registered political party. Some members of the Estonian Greens joined the Estonian Centre Party.
2000s
As a result of a new initiative to found a green political party, Valdur Lahtvee, an organizer, reported that on 1 November 2006, more than 1000 members had been recruited for the Green Party Initiative Group to register as a political party under Estonian law, opening doors for running at the coming parliament elections in March 2007.
The current Estonian Greens party (Erakond Eestimaa Rohelised) was founded on 25 November 2006 as the party held its founding general assembly, with 361 members present of the total 1203 founding members. The programme of the party was ratified and the board of 13 members elected. Marek Strandberg noted that the goal of the party was to win at least 5 Riigikogu seats in the upcoming elections and to form a Greens parliamentary caucus. The main points of the programme were: protecting Estonia's forests, sea and other resources, combating climate changes, and promoting direct democracy. Economically, the party supports innovativeness and conservative fiscal policies.[5]
In the parliamentary elections held in March 2007, the Estonian Greens received 39,265 votes (7.1% of the total), and thus held six seats in the Riigikogu until 2011.[6]
In the parliamentary elections held in March 2011, the Greens got 21,824 votes (3.8% of the total) and thus lost all their 6 seats in the parliament. In the parliamentary elections held in 2015, the Greens got 5,193 votes (0.9% of the total), failing to get any seats.[7]
In March 2017, Züleyxa Izmailova was elected the new chairwoman of the party.[8]
Ideology
The objective of the Estonian Greens is to conduct a democratic parliamentary policy aimed at ensuring that the development of the Republic of Estonia is environmentally friendly, sustainable, politically stable and economically efficient. The party is against the excessive centralization of political, administrative and economic power, favoring the possibility of autonomous decision-making, given the importance of citizen participation in decision-making at all levels.
The party is also to vigorously support science, to involve researchers in decision-making processes, to implement the results of research, to strengthen health care and to guarantee the effective access of the population to health services, to better understand the content and organization of education, to pursue the development of information technologies, to make the proposed solutions more reliable and humane and to support national co-operatives. It intends to encourage innovation in industry and agriculture, and the abandonment of the use of oil shale as fuel (PÕXIT).
Economical policies[9]
The party encourages innovative, knowledge-based, environmentally responsible, employee-friendly and consumer-friendly businesses.
The party supports the introduction of fair resource and environmental charges that take into account the external costs of the oil shale sector. The social and economic problems associated with the closure of the oil shale sector in Ida-Viru County can be mitigated at the expense of fair resource royalties.
The main objectives in the energy sector:
- Zero carbon emissions in Estonia by 2050.
- Eliminate oil shale energy no later than 2030 and in 2035 at the latest, eliminate shale oil production. The Auvere power plant and some of the existing oil shale reserves are preserved in particular cases, as its long-term exploitation is economically detrimental in the event of a significant increase in the price of the CO2 quota.
- Begin to prepare an action plan to anticipate the steps and the timetable to fully switch to renewable energy, while simultaneously addressing the scenarios of employment and sustainable development of Ida-Viru County.
- Bring together scientists and entrepreneurs to find ways to earn more with less oil shale as a raw material for the chemical industry.
Support the decentralized production of renewable energy, such as wind farms, geothermal energy and solar panels. Eliminate the obstacles imposed by law on small electricity producers. Ensure that each household can also sell electricity for sale if they wish. Support the development of the smart grid.
Exempt income tax if energy savings are applied.
Develop ICT solutions for the development of flexible cars, rental and bike sharing systems and demand-driven transport.
Develop a plan for the transition to renewable energies for land and floating transport.
Support the purchase of electric vehicles, including e-bikes. Sale of electric cars with a special discount.
Privilege rail transport for road transport. Support for the development of a faster rail link in Estonia on the basis of existing routes, the connection to Riga and the rehabilitation of the liquidated railways. The development of an international rail connection should not be at the expense of the local network or nature.
Avoid the use of wood as a source of renewable energy. Renounce wood production projects in low-energy plants.
Focus on cooperative entrepreneurship
Creation of legal spaces favorable to the management of the commercial company.
Support trade associations that produce renewable energy and dedicate themselves to small production and service.
Encourage employee participation among business owners.
Encourage businesses to invest in science.
Help entrepreneurs get into new markets.
Support small producers
Support the creation of local businesses.
Provide loan guarantees for small businesses and trade associations.
Supporting national industrial enterprises that are resource efficient and producing practical research and development results funded by public funds.
Bonds offered to citizens, then local businesses and bank loans with foreign owners, to cover the credit crunch of the country's state-owned enterprises and ecologically sustainable. Investments in rural areas, cooperative entrepreneurship, energy production, organic foods and energy savings in housing will create lucrative new jobs.
Legislation governing maritime affairs needs to be amended so that Estonian shipowners' ships return to the Estonian flag.
Replace the current business model of "buy, use and launch" with the circular economy.
Support product life extensions, longer production guarantees and assistance with VAT relief for repair services.
Apply environmental principles in public procurement - accounting based on long-term operating costs, pollutant emissions and energy consumption when evaluating tenders. Offers with the lowest life cycle costs and negative environmental impacts must be prioritized.
Emphasize greater automation of the economy to the introduction of foreign labor.
Work on solutions to use block circuit technology to create a local rail.
Raise environmental taxes for the disposal of unsorted waste.
Fight against the waste of food.
Encourage the transition to shorter work hours. In the long term, we believe it is essential to have an unconditional basic income (civic wage).
Stopping the production and use of disposable plastic products and the regulation of the production of paper junk.
Increasing the share of environmental charges in the state budget, taking into account the external costs of economic activity resulting from its impact on the environment and health.
Encourage environmentally friendly farming and grassland farming, as well as the cultivation and preservation of ancient breeds and varieties of animals.
Support the revival of the meristem method developed and successfully grown in Estonia for the production of disease-free plants in agriculture and horticulture.
Opposition to breeding that does not respect the welfare of animals.
Make Estonia a country of organic farming.
Limit the use of concentrated pesticides and mineral fertilizers through tax policies.
Prohibit the massive use of glyphosate herbicides in agriculture and landscaping.
Support the use of scientifically based fertilizers and innovative solutions for fertilizer dosing.
Favor cultivation methods that maintain and increase the fertility of agricultural land.
Opposition to the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in an open natural environment and to the sale of these products to consumers.
Call for Estonia to be declared a GMO-free country
Opposition to the patentability of plants and animals to avoid litigation arising from the uncontrolled proliferation of genes.
Reduction of social taxes for producers and processors of organic products.
Promote nature tourism in all its forms
Support for all activities that contribute to the preservation of natural landscapes, ecosystems and natural communities.
Community and State[10]
Make Estonia a country of participative and direct democracy based on regular referendums, as in Switzerland. Legislate by referendum on the introduction of a new legislative provision or appeal against the Riigikogu's decision, which was an opportunity offered by the first period of independence of the Estonian Constitution. To organize a referendum, the required number of grant signatures must be collected. The referendum will be preceded by a month-long public debate and equal media coverage of the pros and cons.
Imposition of a master's degree requirement to all ministers. The Minister of Education and Research must have a PhD or equivalent training.
Opposition to the defamation of others, drawing a distinction between defamation and freedom of expression.
Favourable to a personal election by the single transferable vote method used in the 1990 Supreme Council elections to allow all suitable candidates to be selected regardless of party affiliation.
Lowering the voting age to 16 for all elections.
Expand the local governments' autonomous revenue base by transferring the bulk of personal income tax and corporate taxes to the local government budget and expanding the powers of local governments accordingly.
Support the comprehensive preventive action of the security authorities, the police and the tax administration, as well as effective civilian control over the activities of these agencies.
Contribute to effective community cooperation, neighborhood watch and positive inclusion of youth in activities.
Maintenance of compulsory military training of young people. Shortening military service and increasing the proportion of recurrent training in determining overall combat readiness. In the development of the Reserve, the Defense League must be strengthened and its cooperation with the Defense Forces strengthened.
Reduce the country's defense costs to 2% of GDP.
Support an expanded capacity for the development and implementation of various defense and security technologies in Estonia by participating in relevant international cooperation.
Environmental Protection[11]
Support all activities that help preserve natural landscapes, ecosystems and natural communities, increase the self-purification capacity of water bodies and improve ecological status.
Stopping the massive invasion of the forest
Extend the cutting volume for spring and summer, in addition to Crown forests to private forests, and determine a total volume of cut for the period of April 1 to August 31. The slaughter capacity of forests must be sustainable. Maintenance of annual slaughter under 5 million cubic meters at least until 2030, to compensate for the previous overcrowding.
The logger (the State and the owner of the private forest) must negotiate with the local community, publicly present a list of the natural benefits of the planned logging area and the impact of logging on the forest. ecosystem. The local community must have a pre-emptive right to purchase both forest land and logging rights. Imposition of a tax on damage to management by sites and ecosystems.
Do not use public funds to intensify forest management, to build roads and ditches in the forest.
Compensate nature conservation restrictions on the private road. Make compensation mechanisms equitable, efficient and operational.
Establishment of a nationally coordinated network of National Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers and Wildlife Relief NGOs, thus strengthening national competencies in wildlife assistance.
Recognition of animal rights as a person. Treating animals solely as property rights prevents the application of the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act and needs to be reviewed. Give animal welfare organizations the right to appeal against animal abuse.
Establish animal care requirements based on the Animal Welfare Council's recommendations for consideration of animals' natural behavior for the prevention of pain, illness and suffering. Prohibition of fur farms.
Creation of an army of nature protection Give the Defense and Defense Forces League an additional task, especially in the area of alternative service, to clean up Estonia from waste, plant forests and participate in other environmental initiatives that require a significant physical work capacity.
Abandon large-scale projects with unimaginable use of nature, such as Rail Baltic, Big Strait Bridge, large wood refineries based on outdated technology, new shale oil processing plants. Develop a national rail infrastructure and set up a fast rail connection with Riga.
Health and social protection[12]
Creation of health insurance for all
Creating opportunities for seniors and people with special needs to manage as much time as possible. To be worthy, it is necessary to systematically tackle the reduction of loneliness in society as a whole.
Raise the birth rate, strengthen parents' security and bring generations closer together. Support home care, innovative nursing homes offering a dignified life and encourage the development of homes for the elderly on the basis of joint activities in Estonia.
Make the labor market more flexible. Increased flexibility of working hours, part-time work and telework, also for people with special needs.
Favorable to the introduction of a "social tax on robots" and a payroll.
Encourage the availability and mandatory production of local organic foods in all child care institutions, to support local producers, promote a healthy diet and act in a sustainable manner for the environment.
Significant reduction in the production and consumption of meat and animal products
Support a more accessible vegetarian diet. Modernize national dietary recommendations of Estonia
Mandate in the public sector, including educational and health institutions, the provision of vegetarian food.
Reform alcohol and drug policies. Prohibit advertising for alcohol and tobacco. Harmonize excise rates on alcohol in the Baltic States.
Regulate the use of substances that alter consciousness, the use of cannabis instead of strict prohibition, and the ritual use of natural psychedelic (enterogenic) products from indigenous cultures.
Education[13]
Flexibility of curricula and values-oriented. Improve the link between theoretical learning and everyday life, for example by using outdoor training. Make school more creative and more collective. Secondary schools should offer professional subjects as optional subjects and use as much as possible the technical basis of vocational schools.
Make learning throughout life. Integration of the values of nature, environmental principles and respect for nature in all curricula, levels of education, subjects and educational institutions.
Raise the invitation of the teacher to teach his profession. Support the specialization and research of teachers. The teaching profession must be prestigious and desirable.
Support the preservation and expansion of Estonian and Estonian language learning opportunities in schools abroad if the Estonian community is sufficiently large.
Creation of equal opportunities for all levels of education. Decentralization of primary and secondary education. Preserve and restore the premises, including small primary schools, close to the student residence. Encourage the teaching of local language (dialect) and culture in general schools and a distinct approach based on cultural autonomy of peoples. Every child should have the opportunity to participate for free in at least one recreation group.
Opposition to the replacement of the Estonian bachelor's programs with the English specialties necessary for Estonian society.
Allow working students to study for free part-time.
Separate recognition of teaching staff and research staff and different criteria for certification.
Let's lower the interest rate on student loans to the real cost of living and extend the repayment term. Withdrawal of part of the student loan on the birth of a child or when the graduate goes to the public sector.
Guarantee each doctoral student a salary with a salary close to the national average in the working group where he / she prepares his doctoral thesis.
Offer free, credit-based higher education instead of following the current time-based curriculum to give students the opportunity to choose their own learning rhythm and combine learning with work.
Fund research at 1% and in the next 10 years at 3% of GDP, including eliminating excess resources from red tape, duplication and other waste.
Encourage public authorities to outsource research and expert advice on issues of national importance and to take their findings into account in the decision-making process.
Discard the requirement to purchase research materials, as in most cases the number of potential bidders is very limited and the predominantly project-based funding model encourages researchers to spend money in ways that profitable.
Establishment of scholarships, allow postdoctoral positions in Estonia and elsewhere for the doctorate.
Provide financial support to researchers for the preparation of large-scale applications of European research beneficiaries and for cooperation with foreign research institutes and participation in research cooperation networks.
Free enterprise research grants from individual taxes on the same basis as government stock exchanges and create tax incentives for private investment in science. Provide tax breaks to foreign research graduates conducting research (including postdoctoral research) during their first years of residence.
Europe and the world[14]
Prioritize the multilateral global order and pan-European cooperation in bilateral forms of cooperation. The central role of the United Nations as a platform for global agreements must be maintained, but the decision-making power of the permanent members of the Security Council must be reduced at the expense of the General Assembly.
Estonia must contribute and actively participate in the work of the EU institutions, protecting its interests and promoting its point of view.
Base the European Union's economic policy on the public interest and global justice, which must promote the efficient use of resources, energy efficiency and innovation. Support the continuation of the reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy with a view to ensuring a more equitable and sustainable rural organization. Only sustainable and environmentally friendly businesses will receive agricultural subsidies. The interests of environmental protection and health in the European Union must be more important than the free and border-less market economy. Favorable to the right of the Member States to protect their environment and their consumers.
Favorable to the European Union Complaint of the independent legislative powers of the European Commission for the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament and political groups must have the right to initiate projects, and Parliament has the final decision-making power over all the laws of the European Union, as is the case with national parliaments.
Estonia, together with other European countries, must contribute to development and humanitarian aid in conflict areas, thus preventing a massive escape of civilian populations.
Favorable to a better distribution of refugees based on solidarity in Europe, taking into account the standard of living in the countries, the cultural context, the natural conditions and the wishes of the refugees. Fight against criminal organizations that benefit from the illegal transport of people.
Encourage international migration for learning and work purposes.
Support international initiatives and agreements against tax havens and tax evasion.
Strengthen international financial stability, the introduction of the Tobin tax (a very modest tax on international remittances).
Support the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination by peaceful means and cultural sovereignty.
Systematic opposition to any territorial, economic or other concession to aggressive totalitarian states.
Electoral results
Parliamentary elections
| Election | Votes | Seats | Pos. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ± pp | # | ± | ||
| 2007 | 39,279 | 7.1 | 6 / 101
|
 6
|
5th | |
| 2011 | 21,824 | 3.8 | 3.3
|
0 / 101
|
6
|
5th |
| 2015 | 5,193 | 0.9 | 2.9
|
0 / 101
|
 0
|
7th |
| 2019 | 10,232 | 1.8 | 0.9
|
0 / 101
|
0
|
7th |
See also
References
- ^ "Äriregistri teabesüsteem" (in Estonian). Retrieved 1 Jan 2019.
- ^ "Maailmavaade" [Worldview] (in Estonian). Estonian Greens. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Üldprogramm" [Main program] (in Estonian). Estonian Greens. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ Bugajski, Janusz (2002). Political Parties of Eastern Europe. M.E. Sharpe. p. 69. ISBN 1-56324-676-7.
- ^ "Täna asutati Erakond Eestimaa Rohelised". Eesti Päevaleht Online. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ^ "Legislative elections ESTONIA". Parties and elections.
- ^ "Riigikogu valimised 2015". Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ "Estonian Greens elect new chairwoman". ERR. 27 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
- ^ http://erakond.ee/programm/uldprogramm/
- ^ http://erakond.ee/programm/uldprogramm/
- ^ http://erakond.ee/programm/uldprogramm/
- ^ http://erakond.ee/programm/uldprogramm/
- ^ http://erakond.ee/programm/uldprogramm/
- ^ http://erakond.ee/programm/uldprogramm/
