The county governors suggested that the tendency to centralize power might increase regional disparities and population's alienation from the state. They expressed hope that planned changes would not be carried out just for the sake of reform only but were directed at people and their needs. On top of that, the importance of taking due account of local distinctiveness was emphasized.
The President of the Republic supported the positions of the county governors and held that the Estonian state should move toward civil society, and the county and local governments had a vital role in this process.
Public Relations Unit of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, December 18, 2003
