Finance Minister Ligi: Estonia has a 'surveillance society hysteria'

Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi appeared on ERR's 'Otse uudistemajast' programme, dismissing claims of a surveillance society in Estonia. He also criticised Sweden's economic policies and took aim at Peeter Raudsepp's work at the Institute of Economic Research.

Estonian Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi has pushed back against concerns over civil liberties, telling ERR's political talk show 'Otse uudistemajast' that Estonia does not have a surveillance society — and that fears to the contrary amount to little more than hysteria.

Ligi used the appearance to range across several topics, including sharp criticism of Sweden's approach to economic policy. The minister argued that the Swedish state has been making poor decisions in its efforts to prop up the economy, though he did not specify which measures he found most objectionable.

The minister also turned his attention to Peeter Raudsepp, former head of the Estonian Institute of Economic Research (Konjunktuuriinstituut). Ligi accused Raudsepp of having done very poor work in that role and suggested his current position in Tallinn City Government represents a significant step down — saying Raudsepp is now «flying low» in the capital's administration.

The remarks are likely to draw a response from Tallinn City Hall, which is run by the Centre Party — a long-standing political rival of Ligi's Reform Party. Ligi has never been shy about voicing blunt assessments of opponents, and his comments about Raudsepp will be seen by many as a politically charged broadside as much as a professional critique.