Let an Estonian parliamentarian take you to lunch

This year’s campaign spending makes it possible

This year’s elections will be the most expensive in Estonia’s history. The five political parties represented in parliament plan to spend 80 million kroons (5 million euros) on advertising—a little over 5 euros per voter, enough to still buy a decent lunch in Tallinn. We can only speak for ourselves, but we’d much rather have the lunch.

City Paper’s political reporters have often debated the necessity of political advertising in Estonia, given that there are only a little over one million eligible voters in the country. An American politician would have little trouble meeting all million of them (if perhaps in small groups) to personally carry his message. And if a politician is serious about our votes, we say let him come court us. For 80 million kroons, they can afford to buy us lunch.