Estonia

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The Republic of Estonia, with a population of 1.4 million people, lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea and shares its borders with Latvia and Russia. Russia continues to dispute border agreements reached in 1994. Estonia's proximity to Scandinavia and Russia contributed to the use of its land for territorial wars. These wars led to centuries of foreign rule by Germans, Swedes, Poles, and Russians.

At the beginning of the 1800s, Estonians revived a sense of national identity after serfdom was abolished by the Russian Empire. This development led to increased cultural expression through literature, education, and music. Growing nationalism, coupled with the collapse of the Russian Empire after World War I (1914–1918), led to the declaration of Estonia as an independent state on February 24, 1918. The first constitution of the Republic of Estonia was enacted in 1920, and the country adopted a parliamentary government. The effective independence of Estonia ended in 1940, when it was conquered and absorbed into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). On August 20, 1991, Estonia declared and established independence for a second time as the USSR disintegrated.

Estonian voters approved a new draft constitution on June 28, 1992. The constitution established a parliamentary government with a president as head of state and prime minister as head of government. The Riigikogu, or parliament, is comprised of 101 members who are selected through open, direct, uniform elections by secret vote based on a proportional system. The Riigikogu elects a president through direct, secret ballot. The president's duties include representing Estonia in international matters as well as appointing office holders to the judicial and executive branches of government, including the prime minister. After the Riigikogu authorizes that appointment, the prime minister selects a Cabinet of Ministers to assist in the day-to-day operations of the government.

In January 1995 the Riigikogu reinstated a 1938 citizenship law that guaranteed cultural autonomy to minority groups. Minorities comprise at least three thousand people in Estonia, including Jews and resident aliens. The religious majority consists of Evangelical Lutherans, Baptists, and members of the Orthodox Church of Estonia. This law gives minorities an active voice in society and local government, although only Estonian citizens are allowed to vote in state elections and serve as members of political parties.

The constitution of Estonia provides equality before the law for all residents. The constitution also grants free education, freedom of speech and thought, protection of health through social services, as well as the duty to uphold the Estonian constitution and laws. Anyone who is the object of discrimination, torture, or degradation may seek redress through the court system.

Estonia's transition into the European Union (EU) modernized the judicial branch, creating a system to address issues of constitutionality. This increases the system of checks and balances on the government. The handling of human rights issues continues to improve, but still falls short of the EU minimum standard. The most frequently reported human rights violations involve police brutality, excessive force, and verbal abuse. The trafficking of humans and the illegal drug trade are also obstacles to freedom that Estonia must address.

European Union; Latvia; Parliamentary Systems; Russia.

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Laar, Mart. Estonia: Little Country That Could. London: Centre for Research and Post-Communist Economies, 2002.

Raun, Toivo U. Estonia and the Estonians. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press, 2001.

Smith, David J. Estonia: Independence and European Immigration. New York: Routledge, 2001.

United Nations Online Network in Public Administration and Finance. <http://www.unpan.org>.

University of Washington, Baltic States Studies. Encyclopedia of Baltic History. <http://depts.washington.edu/bal tic/encyclopedia.html>

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Background Note: Latvia. <http://www.state.gov>.

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