Press Releases
Results of Radio Kuku's Internet vote
20th September 2009
Results of Radio Kuku’s Internet vote
“Time to fill the political memory gap!”
On 20 September 1992, VII composition of the parliament of the Republic of Estonia, Riigikogu, was voted, which was the first Riigikogu after regaining our independence. Today, Estonia has the fifth Riigikogu, eleventh government, eighth prime minister and third president. There are always whiners who ask whether this is the Estonia we wanted. But what kind of Estonia did we want then?
Now, 16 years after regaining the independence, Radio Kuku asked everyone to remember the past years from the perspective of national choices. Future is not built in a day and many political decisions that were criticized first have ensured success for Estonia.
Thus, from 13th to 30th November we tried to answer the following questions with help of our listeners (NB! There were no pre-given answers to choose from.):
- Who is the politician who has had the most positive influence on Estonia in the past 15 years?
- Who is the politician who has had the most negative influence on Estonia in the past 15 years?
- Which political decision made or law passed in the past 15 years has had the most positive influence on Estonia?
We didn’t look for the truth but tried to make people think, before Estonia’s 90th anniversary, about development of the state that has regained its independence, proceeding from the principle that life is not black-and-white!
Results: The data was processed for two different time period 13 November-28 November (at 15.20) and 28 November (at 15.21) - 30 November (16.00). This was in connection with Estonian Centre Party’s alleged agitation to take part in the voting with certain provided answers (the most positive politician – Edgar Savisaar, the most negative politician, Andrus Ansip and the most important decision repurchase of the railway) and in the mentioned time period, identical answers started to come in. In the period 28 November at 15.20 – 30 November at 16.00, 536 identical answers were received. The most positive politician Edgar Savisaar, the most negative politician Andrus Ansip, and the most important political decision repurchase of the railway!
Results of the first period: Top 5 (864 voters)
• Who is the politician who has had the most positive influence on Estonia in the past 15 years?
| 1. | Lennart Meri | 32% |
| 2. | Mart Laar | 31% |
| 3. | Edgar Savisaar | 13% |
| 4. | Siim Kallas | 8% |
| 5. | Andrus Ansip | 4% |
• Who is the politician who has had the most negative influence on Estonia in the past 15 years?
| 1. | Edgar Savisaar | 58% |
| 2. | Andrus Ansip | 9% |
| 3. | Mart Laar | 9% |
| 4. | Villu Reiljan | 4% |
| 5. | Arnold Rüütel | 3% |
- Which political decision made or law passed in the past 15 years has had the most positive influence on Estonia?
| 1. | European Union | 24% |
| 2. | NATO | 21% |
| 3. | Monetary reform | 9% |
| 4. | Mother salary | 6% |
| 5. | Ownership reform | 5% |
The final result turned out to be:
Top 5
Total of voters 864+851=1715
- Who is the politician who has had the most positive influence on Estonia in the past 15 years?
| 1. | Edgar Savisaar | 38% |
| 2. | Lennart Meri | 23% |
| 3. | Mart Laar | 21% |
| 4. | Siim Kallas | 5% |
| 5. | Andrus Ansip | 4% |
- Who is the politician who has had the most negative influence on Estonia in the past 15 years?
| 1. | Edgar Savisaar | 45% |
| 2. | Andrus Ansip | 43% |
| 3. | Mart Laar | 18% |
| 4. | Villu Reiljan | 2% |
| 5. | Arnold Rüütel | 1% |
- Which political decision made or law passed in the past 15 years has had the most positive influence on Estonia?
| 1. | Joining the European Union | 29% |
| 2. | Joining the NATO | 18% |
| 3. | Repurchase of the railway | 14% |
| 4. | Monetary reform | 4% |
| 5. | Mother salary | 3% |
Thank you all very much for taking time to think and answer the questions!
Additional information
Janek Luts
Editor-in-chief of Radio Kuku
luts@kuku.ee
