The Estonian nation has never been extinguished despite having once lost independence through occupation and oppression, Estonia’s President, Alar Karis, stated, ERR reports. Speaking on Estonia’s 32nd Independence Restoration Day, Karis said that the Estonian state was founded on “liberty, justice, and the rule of law,” in that order. He said that freedom constituted the character and strength of the Estonian state. “Protecting the free Estonian state means caring for society’s intellect, ethics, and pure thought without arrogance,” Karis said. At the same time, he noted that it was difficult to be free. Karis criticised suggestions to control the media and freedom of expression, insisting that state supervision of journalistic content was a “bad idea.” Democracy requires transparency, he stressed. Also, Karis appealed to politicians to display responsible dignity, recalling the slogan of the former Estonian Royalist Party: “For a Hate-Free Estonia and Europe.” The tenacious Estonian people needs “more clarity” and “less noise,” Karis concluded.
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