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Address of the President of the Republic on Victory Day in Viljandi on June 23, 1998
23.06.1998

Excellencies
Dear fellow-countrymen!

Today it is Viljandi's turn to trust the flame of victory to the hands of our Defence Forces, so that it may burn in all Estonian counties and in the heart of every Estonian as the Midsummer Night bonfire. May today's bonfire bring happiness and light to your homes, especially if the Midsummer Eve happens to be dark and rainy. It is especially on such a night that the midsummer bonfire becomes the flame of victory, uniting people into nation and homes into a country. This is the sixth time for me to send the Estonian soldiers out with the flame. Today, the old Estonian warriors march in line with our young soldiers. And yet the nation's ability to defend itself is upheld not only by the veterans, the officers and the young soldiers. In time of need, the whole nation must be prepared to take up its own defence. This idea is well represented by the Estonian National Defence League, who will celebrate its 80th anniversary on November 11 this year. Today's parade is your parade too, my dear National Defence Leaguers! And I thank you once more that you have, this very morning, given a good example to our defence forces in singing our national anthem.

What are the three messages of our flame of victory today, in 1998? I considered this a little before midnight, on my way back from the hot, drought-parched city of Vienna, as the plane started its descent in Tallinn. Yesterday morning - it was only yesterday morning - I spoke of these matters on a meeting called the NATO Workshop. I must confess, dear fellow-countrymen, that I was proud of you, of your work, of Estonia, when I realised the extent of earnest attention that was paid to the voice of Estonia - the voice of one country among many others of the world. I have seldom had the chance to see so clearly that in today's world there are no countries whose rights are greater just because the country itself is big, and vice versa: there are no countries whose rights are small or non-existent just because the country is small. There are greater and smaller politicians, but there is no great or small justice in the Rule of Law. The world has changed, it has learned from its sufferings and emerged wiser. In this world there is no room for politicians who betray their ignorance by quoting "Three Musketeers" or "Brave Soldier Shvejk": they will be laughed to pieces - if they are lucky. Remember this in spring, when the elections start. Today's world is safe and secure for all countries who know their rights and obligations under Rule of Law. The world is safe for the Republic of Estonia on the condition that she upholds Rule of Law and acknowledges her obligations besides her rights. This acknowledgement, this balance between rights and obligations, this civic consciousness, this civic responsibility that is the foundation of democracy, is the key to our security today. In a newspaper interview Mr. Javier Solana said that no key is needed to open the door of NATO, and he was right: no key is needed, because Estonia is holding the key. So is Latvia. So is Lithuania. On the condition that we understand our own rights and our obligations and fulfil them reasonably. That we understand the need to develop our defence forces, even if this means tightening the belt. Our country was born in the War of Liberation, in other words, it was born of our will to defend ourselves. Our state, our nation, our language and our culture will endure and develop only if this will to defend endures and develops. Tell this to your MP candidates, dear fellow-countrymen. A country without arms is like an orchestra without instruments.

My second message. Midsummer flame is the flame of victory. Victory over whom? Over Russia?

Dear fellow-Estonians, Russia is our neighbour, and one should get along with neighbours. We have, step-by-step, dissolved our distrust and assumed the course of straightforward co-operation with Russia, because this is in concord with the interests of both countries, and also in concord with the desire of co-operation expressed by both Russia and the European Union. Of course, the steps could have been a little longer. If it is our intention to gain a victory on Victory Day, it must first and foremost be a victory over ourselves. We should defeat our uncertainty, our sense of inferiority, and stop pitying ourselves, thinking of ourselves as too small and too educated to carry the gun. We should put and end to the scuffle between political parties and make it clear to our MP-s beyond doubt that the interests of our state are more important than those of their parties. Governments come and go, the state remains. We should overcome the mutual distrust that was evoked at the time of the Soviet occupation, distrust for those who were forced to wear the foreign uniform; and our current distrust for those who were once deported to the Red Army. In both cases we are dealing with cynical violations of international law, because the victims were citizens of the Republic of Estonia and have remained so to the end. Allow me to quote a couple of lines from the confidential report sent to Nikolai Karotam, the Soviet Quisling, from April 4, 1944. It says of the Estonian Peace Corps: "Presently replacement units from the 1st Estonian Reserve Regiment have arrived to the Reserve Battalions; 70% of the men are infected with Anti-Soviet attitudes". For instance, recently Volt, Gabral and Rovik were actively spreading rumours that the former national anthem "My Fatherland, my Joy and Bliss" would be re-instituted, and that the "blue, black and white" would become the national flag. "I report that the Anti-Soviet encounters have decreased considerably, especially in the units where we have made arrests."

This is the truth that some short-sighted politicians even today would prefer not to see. The truth is that the conviction, or at least the hope to guard Estonia always lived in the hearts of all Estonians.

And my third message of the Victory Day:

This is about the Estonian nation and the Estonian home. Eurobarometers and all kinds of clairvoyants have tried to find out what the Estonian people think. There has been considerable fracas that the majority of the Estonians do not have any too clear ideas about Europe. They have no idea, but are full of cheerful enthusiasm. A curious nation. A curious nation also because Estonians mostly value success in terms of education and culture. This does not surprise me, but makes me very glad. Of course, we can not decide about the European Union before the negotiations. Why buy a pig in a poke? The fact that we value education shows that the Estonian people know what it means to be an Estonian, what it means to be the Estonian nation.

In the field of education I would like to emphasize four passwords set down by the Academic Council of the President of the Republic, the passwords that should create a foundation for our educational life already today: efficiency, adequacy, quality and justice, which means efficient or reasonable education policy, adequacy - a high level of education - and availability. All young people, all our children must get the best education.

Educated Estonia springs from home, from the home culture. And must continue in the small primary school next door, in a good secondary school and in a university of internationally recognised standard.

In a couple of hours in Tartu I will present the prizes to the makers and keepers of the most beautiful homes all around Estonia.

This means that the Home Decoration Year 1997-1998 has ended so that the next one could begin, so that the next year could begin. This, too, is the everlasting and unceasing home lore, the history of our homes. For everyone, home decoration should expand the concept of home to cover wider and wider areas. Until the weedy no-man's-land still gaping between our homes will disappear. If it is our own country, there must be a keeper for every piece of land, for every building, to keep it in order and orderly.

Our faith in beautiful Estonia emphasizes our will to defend it. This year, also the most orderly border-guard posts were singled out: they were Saatse, Mehikoorma and Toila. Estonia must be spotless on all borders. And so it is.

Keeping Estonia clean and orderly actually means guarding Estonia. And we are the only ones who can do this. No one can do this for us. Thus the beautiful places in Viljandi and the Viljandi County and all over Estonia will become close to everyone's heart. Estonia is a home to us all, and every home is a piece of Estonia. The home that we will defend. Defend today and tomorrow, as we did yesterday.

Have a beautiful Victory Day, Estonia!

Have a beautiful Midsummer Day!

Flame of Victory, Midsummer Bonfire - guard Estonia!

 

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