President Lennart Meri today offered a traditional Christmas lunch at the Kadriorg Palace to the County Governors of Estonia. All the fifteen County Governors were present.

As the lunch begun, President Meri asked Helisr-Valdor Seeder, Governor of the Viljandi County, to give a summary of the progress of administrative reform. The County Governor Seeder spoke of several functions, which had so far been operated on regional level, but now belong to the administrative areas of the ministries; the balance between territorial and sectoral administration is progressing towards sectoral administration. The County Governors spoke of their opinions on the planned reforms, and of the changes in the role of the County Governor and County Government within the last years.

Also the need to fulfil the state's tasks as efficiently as possible was discussed, and it was agreed that the state should be as close to the citizen as possible. Also the current contradictory nature of the County Governor's position was discussed -- the County Governor should represent the State as a whole in his county and the interests of the county in the capital. The government should explain to the citizen for what and how the tax money would be used in the state, inform the citizens of the functions of the state and their rights and responsibilities, President Meri mentioned. These could be the tasks of the County Governor. The County Governors also spoke of their problems -- while they are impartial representatives of the Government of the Republic in the counties of Estonia who should control the activities of local governments, the approval of these local governments is necessary for their appointment.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, December 14, 1999

back | archive of press releases | main page