President of the Republic at the Celebration of the 79th Anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, Stockholm
01.03.1997

Dear Compatriots,
Distinguished Guests!

I am happy to be able to greet you on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia in the friendly city of Stockholm today. I am glad we can think together about Estonia's yesterday, today and tomorrow as we are here, in the capital of Sweden - the capital of a country that throughout the time Estonia was occupied presented refuge from war and a home to so many of our compatriots, to our culture and sciences, to our free press, our societies and community activities, to the survival of the continuity of our state. Turning my glance from the past to the present, I want to thankfully underscore the solid support of the Swedish state and people to the restitution of the Republic of Estonia and the continued support to the speedy integration of our country into European structures. Even yesterday I was reassured of it as I met Prime Minister Persson. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to stress on this anniversary of our republic: Estonia can fully appreciate the extent of her indebtedness to the people and the Government of Sweden; Estonia can appreciate and exercise her rights and duties to safeguard the security and well-being of our common Baltic Sea region.

This speech to mark the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia in Stockholm could all be just a shout of rapture over the change of the times and circumstances. There is no need for me to describe the signs of this alteration to you. I could begin the sentence like this: Who would have thought ten years ago that ..., ellipsis. You will find different extensions to the clause in accordance with your taste, way of thinking and political convictions. Down to the simplest assertion, just one or two words we all have in common: even ten years ago we knew that our state would come.

We did know it.

To refined European politicians that belief may have appeared naive. And yet it has come true. The simple Estonian was a mountain above the refined European Kremlinologists. He or she was above them, since the Estonian had preserved the faith in international law and the common European values.

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I am glad to assure you that in Tallinn and in Estonia we celebrated the anniversary of our republic in a matter-of-fact, businesslike manner. I wish these qualities would again become a national trait of Estonians. The matter-of-fact, businesslike performance of Estonia's young Armed Forces in Vabaduse Square proved that the young generation is carrying on the will of their fathers to defend the freedom of our fatherland. A united will - this is what we aim for. The Estonian Armed Forces are a school of such will. A strong will is a value in itself, because it pre-empts and prevents conflicts, it infuses self- confidence and produces security. I wish I could make you also feel the cordiality that ruled in Vabaduse Square, the pride of the people in their sons and daughters wearing the uniforms of the Estonian defence forces.

We have achievements to be proud of. We have overcome the most critical turningpoints that are self- evident when such fundamental changes occur, and we can see that the economy, being adjusted to the rules of a market economy, is functioning. True enough, it is groping its way and of course it makes mistakes, but it stands on its two legs. It attracts foreign investors, and this not only an economic matter but a far more important issue: it leads to a natural intertwinement, and Estonia will cease to be an unfamiliar notion or just a geographical point.

A very important feature characterizing the current period of the Estonian culture is a kind of self- discovery. Publishing has moved into the hands of private initiative - and bookshops in Estonia now are full of publications of the recent years, including a lot of works of lasting significance. The complexion of Tallinn has become more vivid owing to its numerous new art galleries. Theatres and concert halls conduct lively activities. Arts people are remarkably supported by the Fund for Furthering Culture, which was re-established after the model of the Thirties.

What I regard as extremely important is the constant drafting of new legislation. The essence of a state ruled by law is its functioning on the basis of laws. This is true of Estonia.

Of course life is more complicated than that, and looking at things at one angle only cannot provide a true picture.

Should we extend our glance from the described lines of development beyond the surface, the picture will become more spatial. And more involved.

Macroeconomic success carries with it a lot of ballast that underdeveloped competition is incapable of stemming. At her present stage of development Estonia is still unable to guarantee social security to all those who need support from the state. I am sure we can only begin to speak about a developed country ruled by law when systemic and exhaustive legislation entails the ability of and possibility for every citizen -including an elementary financial possibility - of securing themselves the protective support of the law, even if they have to take it to court.

I could go on reciting things that worry me and which certainly hinder the development of Estonia.

The life and formation of a state, however, is a PROCESS that will actually never come to an end. It is always an intricate and continuously changing pattern of trials and errors, discoveries and disappointments. Scots have cloned a sheep now, and this provides a budding opportunity to clone ideal sheep, but the cloning of an ideal state is simply impossible. Everything has to be learned in the process of formation, feeling it in one's own bones, passing it through one's own pains. Even a long time before the dinosaur named the Soviet Union collapsed I foretold, in Churchill's words, pains and sweat for Estonia when it would become free again. There were people who considered that kind of thinking pessimistic and retarding. Today one can see that it was simply a sober way of thinking. It has nothing to do with pessimism. Estonia's road in the winds of history has been so convoluted and our citizens have had such hard knocks that we simply have no right or reason to be pessimists.

It is often said that history has now given us another opportunity. This is a superficial statement. The right thing to say is that the only essence and meaning of all Estonian history since the dawn of the times has been the exercise of the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state. We have to learn to read properly what has not been recorded in writing, namely the origins of our history, and to draw right conclusions from those mostly unwritten sources. As a result of a long struggle we established our state at the beginning of the century. It happened through the War of Liberation, at the price of fighting, tribulations and strenuous work. Now we are reconstructing our state, and this also has required and still requires self-sacrifice and work, first and foremost merciless work. Such work has been done at home and abroad; in this hall I should say: it has been and is being done both here and there.

This is my message today to all Estonians. To Estonians anywhere. Let me once again congratulate all of you on the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.