Madise pays some presidential advisers more than Karis did

Some of President Ülle Madise’s advisers are paid more than their counterparts under former President Alar Karis, ERR reports. The increases include the salaries of the security adviser and communications adviser, while several members of Madise’s team also have larger workloads.

Madise’s security adviser, Rainer Saks, earns 6,500 euros, compared with 3,900 euros for Karis’s security adviser, Madis Roll. Communications adviser Harrys Puusepp earns 6,000 euros, while Karis’s communications adviser, Hannes Hamburg, earned 3,000 euros for a half-time workload. Madise’s culture adviser, Jaak Prints, earns 5,000 euros; Karis’s culture adviser, Rasmus Puur, earned 1,800 euros for a quarter-time workload.

Madise’s other advisers and their listed salaries are: foreign affairs adviser Margus Kolga, 4,600 euros for a 0.9 workload; legal advisers Hent-Raul Kalmo and Ida Ulita Vooglaid, 1,900 euros each for a 0.4 workload; National Defence Council adviser Taimar Peterkop, 4,000 euros for a 0.5 workload; domestic policy adviser Vladimir Svet, 6,000 euros; and adviser Piret Arukaevu, 4,800 euros. Chancellery head Paavo Nõgene earns 8,000 euros.

Karis’s listed team also included foreign affairs adviser Margus Kolga, at 4,600 euros for a 0.9 workload; legal adviser Hent-Raul Kalmo, at 1,900 euros for a 0.4 workload; adviser Sigrid Haage, at 3,300 euros; and Chancellery head Krista Zibo, at 6,100 euros. Unlike Madise, Karis did not have a domestic policy adviser or a National Defence Council adviser. Madise does not have the science or economic advisers who served under Karis.

Presidential Chancellery communications department head Mariann Sudakov said the team had been recruited to meet the president’s high expectations. Advisers now work full-time in several roles that were previously part-time, and their duties and responsibilities have increased, she said. Sudakov added that salaries are set with workload, duties and responsibility in mind, and that the increased workload and expectations bring some pay levels in line with those of deputy chancellors or chancellors.

In Estonia’s public service, an institution’s head sets advisers’ salaries within the budget. In this case, the decision rests with the leadership of the Presidential Chancellery or the president.