HOW TO BECOME THE PRIME MINISTER?

I had a chat with the former Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year gala and he had noticed an ad for a training titled “How to become the Prime Minister?” in Äripäev, which I will be conducting at Äripäev on 19 April. “You are going to put 100 people in a room and promise them all that they will become the Prime Minister?” wondered Rõivas. “Of course!” said I. One hundred want to become one, some will. But none of us know, who.
 

The aim of political communication is to get elected. Once. And one more time. Each time. A politician is a person, who puts his or her candidature forward for elections. Even if he or she will not be elected.

Unfortunately, we have too many of the “politicians”, who do not even wish to gain power. They do not want to become the Prime Minister, to exercise power. It is their desire to become members of the parliament. Even if it’s the opposition. Just to get a nice job and a good pay check. Such people are needed as well, those doing the dirty work as members of various committees, but do not have the power to make decisions. However, striving is necessary – much more of it, to make the country bloom.

It is not hard to become the Prime Minister

The technical recipe for becoming the Prime Minister is primitive: become the chairman of your party, win the elections, and form the coalition. Substantially, however, more is needed to be elected.

One must be able to read, write, and speak. To have a good command of rhetoric. The ability to read is mentioned a lot in this country, the ability to think much less. A person who is able to implement policies successfully, can synthesize what he or she has read/what has been communicated and express this effectively in writing or verbally – in a speech or conversation.

The argument that if a person has read a lot, they must be smart, is not significant in politics. What counts is whether a person can use their words to make others think the way they want to, to make them think and/or do what he or she wants them to.

The Estonian Draughts Federation did not support Jüri Ratas at the presidential election of the Estonian Olympic Committee. Just one vote from the Draughts Federation would have sufficed. When Ratas became the Prime Minister, I sent him a text message: “Let’s agree, Jüri, you make a much better Prime Minister than an EOC President. Can’t let your talent go to waste!”. “Joker  :) ”, Ratas responded. “I wasn’t joking. :) ,” I added.

Success comes to those who work hard

One can become the Prime Minister by climbing up the political ladder until the wind blows the door, which has been nailed shut, open for you and you will only need to step in. That’s what happened with Taavi Rõivas. It may happen that the door, which you believe to be the right one is nailed shut in front of you, but this is not actually the correct door to enter. This happened with Jüri Ratas.

But in order to achieve any success, to win a medal, one must work hard all his or her life. Practice, practice, practice. Had Erki Nool been reading books instead of practicing sports, he would not have been able to travel to the Olympic Games in Sydney. He could have been in the top form of Heino Lipp, but would not have been able to start the competition, could not have won the Olympics.

Most politicians never reach the highest positions in the world of politics, perhaps one of one hundred or even one thousand reaches the absolute top.

But this is not a problem. Everyone, who want to stay in good physical shape, should practice sports. Everyone, who would like to see the Republic of Estonia persist and provide a good place to live for all of us, should take part in politics. To ensure the good political health of Estonia.

One doesn’t have to be a politician – a person, who holds an elected position, and get paid for implementing policies – to shape policies. As proven by examples from Estonia and Finland, anyone who has prepared and is standing behind the right door at the right moment can become the Prime Minister (Juha Sipilä, Prime Minister of Finland, was an entrepreneur) or a top politician (Timo Soini, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, has a conflicting background).

In order to reach the right door, one must practice a lot. Having ambitious politicians is beneficial for any country. So, yes, Taavi, lets create 100 new candidates to become the Prime Minister at Äripäev on 19 April. And Jüri – we are not joking. Never.