and Strandman's criticism led to the eventual resignation of Päts's 2nd cabinet in 1924 and led Päts to distance himself from public politics for seven years. Otto Strandman became Minister of Finance in 1924. He implemented his New Economic Policy (uus majanduspoliitika) of economic redevelopment, which stabilized the Estonian mark and detached the Estonian economy from dependence of trade with Russia. Dependence on Russia and hyperinflation could have affected the social situation in Estonia crucially, especially in the light of 1 December 1924 communist coup d'état attempt. While Päts has been seen by some as a politician who "destroyed democracy" with the 1934 self-coup, many Estonians today understand the threat the Vaps Movement could have caused to democracy and internal and external security. Furthermore, the "coup" was initially recommended by Päts' political opponent Jaan Tõnisson himself, and was supported by the democratically elected parliament (Riigikogu). as well as the moderate wing of the Estonian Socialist Party. According to some historians however, Päts and his close allies used the 1934 coup for their own personal gains and not to keep the Vaps Movement from taking power. Several members of the Päts family gained important positions ranging from clerical to cultural fields. Others have criticized the long time it took to adopt a new constitution, which was more than three years. Päts was generally considered to be a rather "modest man" for a politician. He has been criticised for undue self-promotion: For example, during his own rule, he was awarded with several state decorations. He was nominated honorary citizen of some larger Estonian towns and some parishes. During the years of his presidency, the official state celebrations of the Estonian Independence Day began the day before, on Päts's birthday. Päts was also the first and only person in interwar Estonia, who had postage stamps with his picture made and circulated, starting from 1936. In 2017, a memorial to Päts was planned for the park on the south side of the Toompea Castle, but the country's president at the time, Kersti Kaljulaid, criticised the decision, saying: Päts' actions prior to, and around the time of, the 1940 Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia have been questioned. Apparently, in 1918, Päts refused to compromise with the Soviet communists, but in 1940, he "handed over" Estonia to the same Soviet communists without many objections — this controversy has led to theories, that Päts was either