Tomusk says Estonia enforced language rules without major conflict

Ilmar Tomusk, who has led Estonia’s Language Board for more than 30 years, will not seek another term and has not ruled out entering politics. In an interview with ERR, he said one of the institution’s biggest achievements was avoiding a major language-based conflict in Estonia.

Tomusk’s tenure will end on October 5, when he will have served as head of the institution for 31 years. He said he wanted to do something else and noted that he had spent exactly half of his life in the role.

“I hope that the new field or job I take up will not be as stressful as leading the Language Board,” Tomusk said. He added that he had very little time to devote to writing children’s books, which he plans to continue doing.

Tomusk said he initially joined the institution in 1995 expecting to stay for only six months. At the time, he was living and working in Kadrina and had been invited to take the job by then Education Minister Peeter Kreitzberg.

Although he trained as an Estonian language and literature teacher, he said the Language Board’s work was primarily connected with the legal field. He later completed a master’s degree and a doctorate in language policy before continuing to apply for and win subsequent competitions for the position.

Tomusk said he would begin considering his next steps more seriously in October or November, as his departure approaches. He said he had not yet thought the matter through in detail.

He has previously run for parliament twice, in 1999 and 2003, as a member of the Estonian Christian People’s Party. He received slightly more than 600 votes in Virumaa in the first election and just over 200 votes in Mustamäe and Nõmme in Tallinn in the second. He is not currently a member of any political party.

Tomusk said he could consider entering politics if the opportunity arose, adding that he did not know what the future would bring.